Darn It, I Fell In Love!
by ChikaiItachi
Summary: Series recap from Ryuuko's POV, focusing on the complex relationships between Ryuuko and other characters, but Ryuuko and Mako will always win as the main romance in this story. Includes novelized scenes from the series as well as original scenes. Multi-chapter. Multiple shippings supported/ hinted. I need feedback to improve, so please drop a review!
1. Go to Sleep, You Little Ditz

1: "Go to Sleep, You Little Ditz" 

When I first saw Mako Mankanshoku, she followed what would become her usual habit and flew at me out of nowhere. Well, not at me; she jumped on her little brother to scold him for stealing. She said something or other to me and then ran to board the shuttle. I can only say I felt baffled.

My bewilderment continued as the cheery Miss Mankanshoku beckoned me to sit beside her in class and then talked about being "besties" when our first class let out. Being a juvenile delinquent who worked independently and usually got my ass kicked, I had no idea what it was like to have an actual best friend. First it sounded corny, but when I looked at Mako's sparkling, caramel-brown eyes and expressive, smiling face, I had second thoughts.

I retreated to the remains of my father's old house. There, I would meet Senketsu. However, the fact that Mako and I stayed together most of the day before that must have tipped someone off. The boxing club champion and other buffoons under that damn Satsuki's control decided to bait me out by threatening to kill Mako.

For the first time I can remember, I felt intensely determined to rescue another human being by risking my own ass. Usually I fought for myself, and I didn't care who else got hurt or even died. Some say that friends are a disadvantage in battle, but if Mako hadn't been there that day, I might not have had the nerve to throw aside my cloak and fight half-naked with the power of Senketsu coursing through my veins. Soon the boxer dude was as good as dead, and though half of me burned with the desire to slice up Satsuki, the other half saw that a retreat was in order; so I accompanied the ditzy damsel in distress home that day.

When Mako arranged for me to stay at her place, I felt truly grateful. I didn't have the time to say so, really, because I had to fend off her pervert dad. When we ate supper, I felt somewhat disgusted at the poor state of Mako's food and family, but I also felt disgusted at myself for not realizing that I had lived in comparative luxury my entire life. I was able to eat when Mako impulsively and with a lively exclamation stuffed three croquets into my mouth with her chopsticks.

"This family is nuts," I said that night to Senketsu, not knowing he was deeply asleep for lack of my blood.

I crawled into the spare futon beside Mako, who I thought was asleep already. I felt insanely awkward. In most of the boarding school dorms, students had "beds" almost like army bunks, and if I had to sleep on a futon during trips, I dragged mine away from the main group. At my dad's mansion, we of course had separate rooms, so all that to say, I had no idea what it was like to sleep so close to other people… I was so close to Mako I could have touched her by barely moving my limbs.

Just then, I felt movement, and in a moment I realized Mako was holding my hand gently. We both slept with at least one arm free of the futon covers. My first instinct was pull away, but then I heard Mako breathing a happy sigh as she drifted back to sleep.

"Fine then," I muttered, red with embarrassment. "She's had a hard day. Maybe she needs me. Don't you worry, Mako," I whispered over her sleeping face; "I'll protect you at school from now on, and kick anybody's ass who tries to kidnap you."

After trying to protect Mako from the tennis club, getting completely beaten, and having to deal with the exasperating Sensei Aikurou, I finally returned to save Mako with a battle-ready Senkestu. It enraged me to see the poor girl tied up and surrounded by bullies, with several bruises on her face. That was the first time I remember thinking Mako had quite a cute face; what disrespect and what waste to fill such a face with bruises!

When Mako encouraged me to play the "Tennis Match" against its barbaric lady leader, I felt completely at a loss, and even a little angry that Mako was pushing me to act. However, when I looked at her face, it was as if I could no longer see the bruises. I only saw her brightly glinting brown eyes, shy smile, and her look of unbreakable faith in me. I took on the tennis captain.

During this fight, I discovered several things. For one, having Mako screaming to cheer me on lifted my untouchable heart so much that I almost forgot the embarrassment of fighting in Senkestu. When I won the match with my scissor blade, Satsuki "descended from on high" and I discovered two facts. One: that long-haired bitch was ridiculously powerful instead of being all talk as I had expected. Two: I could never have admitted it aloud in a hundred years, but there was something strangely attractive about her. I suppose this is what they call Charisma. I ended up retreating again, but I had saved Mako.

Mrs. Mankanshoku thanked me for saving her daughter and gave me a pair of Mako's old pajamas. Mako insisted that I enjoyed fighting nearly-naked in my transformed Kamui, and it was no good trying to correct her. Maybe she wasn't completely wrong. If Mako was there admiring my body, maybe I didn't mind Senketsu. That bizarre train of thought was abruptly broken, however, when Mako started delightedly poking at me in her old pajamas. She looked immensely entertained, but I asked her to please stop. Senketsu and I had a feeling something bad was going to happen the next day.

Before I drifted off to sleep, I heard Mako whisper to me,

"Those pajamas really are adorable on you, Ryuuko-chan!"

"You're only saying that because they were yours," I said back.

"They were?" exclaimed Mako, sitting bolt upright and looking as if she had just realized the origin of the patterned pajamas.

I sat up too and gave Mako a brief hug, saying, "Oh, go to sleep, you little ditz."

Senketsu and I ended up correct about the foreboding feeling. That day, Satsuki came out to fight wearing her Kamui, laughingly named "Junkestu." Even as I fought for my life, embarrassed and ridiculed by that damn Satsuki, my hatred for her mingled with nonsensical thoughts of admiration. I wondered if I was the type of person who only felt physically attracted to other females. Still, I covered those odd feelings with exclamations of hatred.

I would have been toast that day if not for Mako. She must truly have courage to dive in when two young women were fighting in Kamuis! Most of her speech was incomprehensible, and there was something mentioned about my chest. Finally I realized Mako believed I was losing to Satsuki because I hadn't proved that my body was superiorly attractive. Illogical as the girl was, she made me see the truth: I would have to fuse my naked body with Senketsu before I could come close to matching Satsuki's power. So damn it, I got naked and I continued fighting that bitch.

(On a side note, Mako insisted that I was the better looking woman, but I found myself impressed with my body as well as Satsuki's. My more Asian build was slightly more petite than Satsuki's, who definitely looked part-but-not-full Japanese. Satsuki seemed to me more like the woman of the two of us, but we were equally physically fit and toned, and proportionally speaking, my chest was certainly not inferior to that of Satsuki. I later told Senketsu those thoughts, and he laughed, asking if I were "into" girls. I growled "Of course not," but I was wondering the same thing.)

Much to my outrage, even when one with Senketsu, Satsuki soon had me kneeling on the ground with her sword Bakuzan pointed at my throat. She spared my life with condescension that disgusted me, and then she told me she would only face me again if I could beat every club captain with a Goku Uniform. Only then could I uncover the truth about why my father was murdered. And so, full of rage, I agreed to the deal.

I left the school for the day, with Mako following me like a little yappy dog. I didn't understand most of what she would say or (god forbid) sing. I did hear her last proposal, though, and it figuratively hit me like a bulldozer.

"We don't have a bath, and shower water costs real money!" she began. "Hey Ryuuko-chan, let's save water together! Let's shower at the same time! It wouldn't be weird at all, because when rich families have baths, I hear they sometimes bathe together! Sisters wash each other's backs and form mighty bonds of sister-love!"

After recovering from that word-bomb, I asked, "Is that what we are, Mako? Sisters? Is that what you want?"

"What I want?" repeated Mako, looking surprisingly pensive. "Hmm… well, I just want to be next to you. I want to be next to you all the time! My heart beats so fast next to you! And I don't think that's quite normal for being just friends, so how about we be sisters?!"

So Mako had no idea what to do with her feelings or how to interpret them, either. I was stuck in the same boat, not knowing how I felt, and not wanting to drag Mako into the exploration of my complicated feelings about girls. I sighed and gave Mako's shoulder an affection shove.

"We're not sisters," I said; "let's just be you and me. Mako is Mako, and Ryuuko is Ryuuko. That's how we'll leave it for now. And one more thing," I added with mock-anger, "I'm not gonna shower with you if you don't stop poking and tickling me every time you think I look cute!"

"Ryuuko-chan, no fair!" shouted Mako.

We walked home together with enough laughter for ten people.


	2. Get Off Me, You Goofball

Mako woke me up screaming. That "No Late Day" was an exhausting drain on me. Still, Mako was with me all day, so it was important experience. I wanted to get the obstacle course done as soon as possible, and though I was not wearing Senketsu, I felt confident Mako and I could make it. Things didn't get tricky until that girl showed up: Oogure Maiko, or "Maiko-chan" as Mako said.

I still didn't know if I "liked" girls in that way, but one thing was for sure: I liked playing the part of the rescuer, even if it caused some battle disadvantage. I brought Maiko along because of her damaged arm and mako's insisting. I was impressed she wanted to keep trying the obstacle course even with her injury. So, I put my arm around Maiko to support her so we could all begin to walk. I liked the way her eyes shimmered gratefully behind her cute glasses, and I smiled like a rogue.

Before long, the three of us girls felt like fast friends. I began to think Oogure Maiko would stay our friend after all the challenges we endured that day. She impressed me. But Maiko dropped the act when Senketsu was delivered to me. She explained she wanted power in the school, and stole Senketsu from me even after Mako's soulful plea that she return my uniform, or "only joy in life."

After Maiko tried to hit Mako, and Senketsu became too stiff for the tricky bitch to move, I reverted to juvenile delinquent mode and nearly broke Maiko's jaw with an uppercut. She still managed to send us falling back to the start of the start of the obstacle course, and pulled off a nearly suicidal escape, too.

"To hell with that bitch," I thought. "No way Mako's getting kicked out of school because of some lying wench."

In the end, Mako and I made it to class right as our names were called, both safe and in one piece. The classroom, however, was in pieces thanks to our shuttle's crash-landing.

"None of the bitches around here impress me," I grumbled to Senketsu later. "And none of the idiotic boys either. I thought it was Maiko who had spirit, but all along the one with the most spunk was Mako. She's the only thing impressive here; even if Satsuki is a hell of a woman, she's too conceited to be human! Mako's the only human who's really my friend."

"And maybe a little bit more than a friend," chuckled Senketsu.

"Ryuuko-chan," said Mako at lunch that day. "Haven't you noticed something strange? We're always by ourselves when we eat lunch at school! What does this mean? That we like eating with each other more than with anyone else in Honnouji Academy?!"

"Mako, everybody else in this school is our enemy," I reminded her flatly. "Of course we eat alone, the two of us."

"You, and me, and Senketsu toooo!" sang the hyperactive Mako.

"Well, for whatever it's worth," I mumbled when she had finished her ridiculous song, "what you said earlier was true, too. I'd rather eat mystery croquets with you, Mako, than have a five course meal with that Satsuki bitch."

The next few days were hell as club captains began to hunt me down, a number of them attempting to kidnap or kill Mako. She would throw her skinny arms around my shoulders or neck and half strangle me with the delight of being rescued. Mako was the only reason I kept my sanity those days. Ironically, she probably wondered about my sanity, since I had taken to talking to Senkestu in public, and nobody but me could hear his voice.

When Tsumugu, or "the Mohawk man" shot Mako full of needles, it scared me pretty badly. In fact, that guy scared me, period. Back in boarding school, if any guys came onto me, they did so with the knowledge that I could beat them to pulps. When Sensei Aikurou flirted with me, I considered it a poor joke. But this man Tsumugu had weapons I didn't understand, was easily twice my weight, and had me on the ground in seconds. Whether he wanted to steal Senketsu or just make me take my clothes off, Tsumugu was the first man I had met who could probably do anything he wanted to me.

I escaped him once, and began to walk to school alone, in case Tsumugu saw me with Mako and decided to target her with something scarier than acupuncture needles. I could tell it made Mako sad to walk alone, but I vowed to myself to keep her safe.

Being Mako, however, she once again came flying out of nowhere when I was cornered. I was up against the bathroom wall in my underwear, glaring at Tsumugu. Senketsu had stripped himself off me to provide a distraction for my escape, and the Mohawk man shot him down with powerful starching needles. Mako suddenly attacked from behind, thwacking Tsumugu with a hefty broom and barely missing his kidneys.

She launched into a spirited rant about how ardently I love Senketsu, simultaneously saying my affection for him was creepy, and patting my head and hugging me as if unaware that I had nothing but underwear. When Tsumugu blankly stated that clothes and human could not be friends, Mako argued otherwise. She said something that proved to me how deep our bond had become.

"Up until now," she said firmly, "my only friends were in my head, but then I met Ryuuko and made a real one! A girl like her can be friends with anyone, even clothing! In fact, she already has!" (Mako tore Senketsu from his pins on the floor and handed him back to me, smiling.) "Shame on you, Ryuuko. You have to take better care of your friends."

I thanked Mako and hugged Senketsu to my chest, embarrassingly emotional. I was trying so hard not to cry that I barely noticed Mako leaving the restroom to attend to her cleaning. Tsumugu threatened me again, but Senketsu defended me. Finally Tsumugu and I were attacked by one of Satsuki's Elite Four warriors. I think Mohawk man escaped, but I lost consciousness after the explosion.

The nonsensical Pervert, Sensei Aikurou, found me and helped restore me to health, but I still couldn't make him talk about what he might know: secrets about my father's death and Senketsu. He said something about a Nudist Beach and after that I gave up and left.

"Ryuuuuuuuko! Ryuuko-chaaaaaan!"

When I walked into the Mankanshoku house and took off my shoes, Mako flew at me again. I decided not to dodge out of pure weariness, and to my surprise, she knocked me onto my back with the force of her embrace. For a few seconds her body lay on mine, her arms around my shoulders, and her cheek against my own. I noticed that she was a bit shorter than me, and about my own weight. I noticed, too, that somehow her skin was amazingly soft, and her smell strangely sweet (under the scent of fried croquets). Then I jerked back to my senses.

"Get off me, goofball," I said, sitting up and pushing Mako off. "What are you so worked up about anyway?"

"I didn't know if you were coming back or not!" exclaimed Mako in relative seriousness. "You can't have so many fights and keep disappearing and making me worry!"

I smiled a little sadly. "Sorry, Mako. This is likely to keep happening for a little while longer. I still have many enemies to face at school. You know, I don't want to keep exhausting myself and worrying you, either. But I'm fighting for something extremely important. I have to face Satsuki again so I can avenge my father."

"So basically," said Mako matter-of-factly, "you really liked fighting Satsuki-sama. You still haven't proved to the world that your body is sexier than hers! Right, Ryuuko?"

"Sure Mako," I frowned. "Think of it that way if you want."

With Mako, things always went in one ear and out the other. I wondered if she really understood that avenging my father was critical to me. Another thing bothered me about what she had said, too. I definitely wanted to fight Satsuki again, even if it turned out she was not my father's killer. My desire to fight her was hardly distinguishable from the desire to see her and hear her again. But that would be a ridiculous thing to feel. What was going on in my head, I wondered?

I tried to put all of my confusing thoughts away for the time being. I focused on fighting as hard as I could, and I scolded myself whenever I had strange thoughts about Mako or about that Satsuki bitch. I fought and beat one of her Elite Four warriors, Sanageyama. They called a rematch I was not prepared for, however. If Sanageyama's Ultima Uniform hadn't overheated, I would have been killed without a doubt.

"I won't let this stop me," I growled. "I'll fight even harder to find out what I need to know. Sorry, Mako. I can't get entangled with you any further. If I do, it will interfere with my mission."

I didn't stop to think that someday soon, Mako might take her own stand against me.


	3. I'm Not Letting Go!

Many of our escapades are actually started by my stupid impulsiveness and not by Mako's ditzyness. Such was the case with the Fight Club. The day it started, I had been feeling quite well and relaxed, and I enjoyed lunch with Mako, especially when she would feed me a croquet with her own chopsticks. Once again, we were interrupted by fighting, and I decided that my battles with other clubs needed some kind of structure.

I proposed the Fight Club. Satsuki herself improved it, and although it would have been better to ignore her and say nothing, I felt compelled to gaze up at her. Hiding my fascination with rage, I told that bitch I would destroy her little club systems. To my outrage and confusion, Satsuki smiled at me and said to try my best not to let the system get the better of me.

Making Mako be the Fight Club President because I didn't want to do the paperwork was probably unkind of me, but in my defense my blood was still boiling thinking of Satsuki. The arrangement seemed to work out, however. I fought dozens of club leaders while Mako took care of all the required paperwork. As a result of the Club's outstanding successes, the Honnouji system kicked in and began to raise the Mankanshoku's standard of living. You would think during this time I was continually exhausted, and Mako did sometimes push me near my limit, but with the new recognition and living arrangements, I was able to enjoy some of the luxury too.

When we moved into the condo, Mrs. Mankanshoku bought new clothes for everyone. I've never really been into girly stuff like trying on new clothes, but my heart soared to see Mako enjoying it.

"When we're ironing Senketsu," said Mako, dancing around with a ladies' red dress shirt and black blazer, "you can wear this one! Ryuuko-chan, it suits you perfectly! You would look so dashing!"

"What about you?" I asked, ignoring the outfit for me. "Which one suits you best, Mako? The pastel-yellow one is cute."

We soon agreed that Mako's cutest outfit was the collared, pale blue dress with white Kawatte scarf and stockings. It proved difficult to look at Mako in this outfit without beginning to blush profusely. Since we had a small bath now, I felt somewhat tempted to see if Mako wanted to bathe with me, but I didn't know where to start, so I just focused on fighting for the club.

~~~~~

Three weeks later, I had defeated almost every club captain, and Mako petitioned for another increase in the standard of living. The request was granted and we moved into the kind of house usually reserved for people with two-star Uniforms. It had more than enough room and luxury; the dining area was excessively large, and each of the four enormous bedrooms came with a western style bed softer than anything I had ever slept on. However, four bedrooms meant that Mako and I no longer shared a room, let alone the closeness of futons.

"Do you miss having a room with me?" I asked Mako awkwardly one day. "I know I miss sharing space with you. See, the only other time I had my own room was at my Dad's house, and those were terrible memories. So, I was thinking…if we shared…"

"You want to sleep in my room?!" exclaimed Mako. "But we couldn't drag your bed all the way to my room. Wait! Are you saying we should sleep in the same bed? But that would be a scandal!"

"I was going to say that I could just use a futon," I grumbled, "but never mind. Forget it."

Things were like that for the next week. One night, the family was so busy with parties or paperwork that nobody even ate dinner with me, not even Mako. Lively dinners with the Mankanshoku family had become one of the few joys of my life. Now, my sense of belonging was fading away.

~~~~~

I decided to tell Mako I was quitting the Fight Club. This would mean returning to no-star status. I was irritated and Mako was simply furious, but it was Satsuki who made us fight against each other.

"Don't be so hasty," Satsuki smiled as I transformed and prepared to leap up to her. "I am not your opponent today."

The bitch supplied Mako with a two-star Goku Uniform, and with that, my best friend began attacking me. To make things worse, Mako's family arrived and actually cheered her on. Satsuki spouted some crap about people being slaves to greed, but Mako was throwing me around so I could barely hear it.

Now, there was no way in hell I was going to kill Mako, or even give her a clobbering. Furthermore, I could tell Mako was holding back from using the full power of her uniform. So I stopped fighting and began to take her hits, one after another. Once when she charged in ready to smash my face, I just smiled knowingly at her, and she stopped dead in her tracks. Soon she had broken down to tears, voluntarily disbanded the fight club, and screamed that she and her family had been horrible.

"Kiryuuin," I yelled at Satsuki, "People aren't as weak as you think! They can suppress their greed with willpower!"

Mako threw off her uniform and I sliced it to shreds with a few strokes of the scissor blade. The energy release from the destroyed uniform was so powerful, it caused a few explosions that looked just like fireworks. Mako and I stood side by side, watching the crackling, colorful energy.

"Now we're even," I grinned at Mako.

"What do you mean?" the other girl asked anxiously.

"I've seen your face marked with bruises before, and now you can see my ugly mug with its brand new black eye. You've seen me in my underwear probably more times than I want to know, and now I get to see you in yours."

We both laughed, but while Mako looked at the last bit of the fading firework, I decided to look up at Satsuki. To my surprise and puzzlement, a small smile crossed her face. Before I could read into it, she turned away and left. Afterward, Mako's family came rushing down into the fighting arena to apologize.

Before long, Satsuki announced her plan for the "Naturals Election" and Honnou-town became one giant riot of students fighting (and in some cases killing) each other for a chance to earn a higher rank. Regular classes were canceled for the time being. Mako and family were finally satisfied with their poor but lively home, so they didn't enter any kind of competition.

I was glad for the break from my usual club captain fighting, but I didn't know what to do with myself. Mr. Mankanshoku had recently swindled a motor scooter from god-only-knows, so I asked him if I could go for a ride. He told me to help myself. I had learned how to ride scooters and motorcycles from a small bike gang, during my last term at boarding school. So before long, the engine was kicking and ready to go.

Then, as per her custom, Mako came out of nowhere. I told her I wasn't going anywhere in particular, but before I knew it she was seated behind me with her hands on my sides. She said was going too, and when I looked at her in astonishment, she looked drunkenly happy and annoyingly cute.

"Let's gooo!" Mako proclaimed, for some reason in English.

At the same time, she threw her arms around my chest and hugged me tightly.

"I'm not letting go!"

She must have deliberately chose my chest as her hold, because she was definitely touching things a girl doesn't usually doesn't want touched, but when I turned and snapped at her, she looked as innocent as a lamb in the spring. Besides, if it was Mako, I thought, I didn't mind at all if she touched my breasts. I suddenly couldn't help smiling. I must be a lesbian.

"Oh, what the hell," I decided, snuggling back a little on the seat. "Senketsu, you're just gonna have to deal with it for now."

I focused on the road and took off at a good speed. I had decided where to go. It might not be anywhere romantic, but it was nonetheless someplace I wanted Mako to see. We were going to my dad's house, where we had lived together during school breaks, and he had been murdered last year. The place was a burned ruin.

I had sometimes hated my dad for being so distant, I explained to Mako, but deep down I had always loved him. I told Mako about how I saw my father dying with the scissor blade in him, how he wanted to tell me more, and how I had ignored him to pursue the silhouette of the girl with the other half of the scissor blade. Last of all, I told her how the house exploded into roaring flames just seconds after I had left it, burning Dad's body to ashes.

"I wanted to at least find out who killed him and why," I said, and to surprise my voice sounded pained. "I want to know what he was trying to tell me. And why he created Senketsu."

Mako finally seemed to understand somewhat, and stayed respectfully silent as I broke through to the basement and looked around for clues about Senketsu. However, I found nothing that day, so Mako and I hit the road again, and as the sun set, Mako began dozing off behind me. I hoped she would have enough sense to hold on. Then, of course, the scooter broke down.

We were picked up by Gamagori Ira, an interesting member of Satsuki's Elite Four. I had seen him around before, and he was a huge guy, but I had no idea how powerful he was until that night. Gamagori drove and Mako had been singing another nonsensical song when our little Caravan was accosted by two dangerous clubs trying to eliminate this member of the Elites.

His fighting style was embarrassingly and masochistically sexual in nature, but nevertheless Gamagori was strong. His three-star uniform had two powerful transformations. He beat back all the enemies. Then we continued, and Gamagori dropped us girls off at a gas station a half mile from Mako' house. He said he looked forward to battling me in the Sudden Death Election in seven days.

As Mako and I walked the rest of the way home, something was on my mind. I couldn't have helped noticing it. I stopped walking and actually glared at Mako.

"Hold on a minute," I said. "That big masochist is my enemy. Why were you being so friendly with Gamagori?! He wanted to pick YOU up. You obsessed over his car, and you kept checking him out—yes, I could tell."

Mako chuckled. "It's not wrong for a seventeen year old girl to want some eye candy when she's picked up by an eighteen year old guy who's totally fit, big, and strong! But you know, Ryuuko-chan, there's something my mom says whenever dad catches her flirting with a visitor."

"What is it that she'd say?" I asked, walking on and feeling strangely irritated.

"My mom would say, 'Just because you're on a diet doesn't mean you can't still look at the rest of the menu."

It took me a moment to understand, but then I laughed heartily. My irritation, which may have been some kind of jealousy, completely left me.


	4. All Day, And All Night, Too

Seven days after running into Gamagori, the Sudden Death Runoff Election began. There must have been at least two thousand students there who had survived the Naturals competition, which meant Honnouji Academy must have had more than ten thousand students enrolled, not including the no-stars who were not competing. All that to say, the battle didn't begin for me until the five towers came up. Anyone who stood atop them became candidates to receive new three-star uniforms.

I quickly climbed to the top of my tower, fending off one-and-two-stars with my scissor blade. When I had safely secured my tower, I saw that the other four had been taken by Satsuki's Elite servants. My instincts had been right: now I would have the chance to defeat the Elite Four and hopefully make Satsuki talk.

I was happy for the chance to eat lunch with Mako before the battle with Gamagori. I didn't think either of us knew how to say it or what to do about it, but Mako and I had become much more than friends. I now preferred talking to her more than anybody else, which was part of why I was pissed off when Sensei Aikurou showed up and stunned Mako with a pressure-point needle. He told me not to fight the Four Elites, but would not say why, nor would he breathe a word about my father's death. So I ignored his warning.

"Wait…" said Mako after our teacher left. "I feel like I skipped ahead in time a little! Was I knocked out?!"

I told a white lie because I wanted to change topics, and because I didn't want Mako being afraid of her teacher. I told her she had just dozed off, which, in all honesty, happened often.

"You're saying I was sleeping again?!" Mako chattered. "Why does this happen to me? It's seriously a problem, Ryuuko-chan. I mean, why can't my Dad fix Narcolepsy?"

"I'm surprised that he even knows what that is," I replied. "Your dad may be a back alley doctor, but he's still pretty awesome."

I turned and looked down at Mako, who had her neck bent forward so she could cram more mystery bento in her mouth. Well, perhaps it might be easier to say if she wasn't looking right at me…

Actually, Mako, that's what I wanted to talk about," I continued. "It's definitely not your dad who's the only awesome one. Your whole family is wonderful, Mako. And… th-the most wonderful thing of it all is, well, you."

Mako stopped eating and stared at me with her caramel-brown eyes.

"You see, Mako," I stuttered, "I… that is, you… um, my feelings—"

"Stop!" said Mako, lifting her arm and pointing her chopsticks to the heavens. "You're about to say something important, aren't you, Ryuuko-chan? But you can't say it yet."

My spirit sank. "But—but why not?"

"Wait until you can say it to me clearly and proudly," said Mako, smiling but blushing. "Go fight, Ryuuko, and win! Then say it to me."

I smiled, amazed. Did she know what I had planned to say? Did she already know I loved her? What a girl, I thought. If a girl like that would wait around for me, I would be able to beat anyone in a fight.

Going into detail about the battles would betray the purpose of this "romantic" memoire, so I'll keep my memories of the battles brief. Also, I might get a little sidetracked with Satsuki or Nui, just as a forewarning. Let's continue, then.

Gamagori was tough, and he fought so strategically that I couldn't have beaten him without Senketsu's plan to cut his armor from the inside. During that battle, I nearly fell to my death, and my chest became completely exposed, but I was almost past caring. Besides, at least Mako would see it. She cheered me on from the stand while I finished off Gamagori.

Gamagori actually went and sat next to Mako, but with no intention of hurting her. The two of them were having some kind of cheering competition. I smiled at them both for a second before putting my mind to the battle before me.

To my surprise, the fight with Inumuta seemed too easy. Sure his disappearing act threw me for a bit, and his forfeit pissed me off, but the battle had not been so bad. Of course, I was unaware then that Senketsu was evolving at a dangerous rate. My only thought was victory.

As I prepared to fight Jakuzure, I looked at the stadium seats again and saw that Mako, for some reason, had actually started cheering for herself. I had no idea why she did that, but it amused me and lifted my spirits. Senketsu noticed, as well, that my breathing and heart rate had lowered to normal levels after seeing Mako.

Jakuzure's Ultima Uniform seemed impossibly powerful; I mean, it could fly. Before focusing all effort on pummeling me, however, the musically inclined Elite briefly flew by Satsuki and said a few words—the key thing I noticed was that she called her commander "Satsuki-chan" when everyone else said "Satsuki-sama." I remembered she had also said earlier to Sanageyama that her relationship to Satsuki was different than that of the other Four. Both Jakuzure and Satsuki were beautiful but unusual young women, and both brought up as rich girls. I wondered about their history, until Jakuzure attacked.

The battle proved long and difficult. Jakuzure was especially upset when I tried to get a strike down on Satsuki. Even after I destroyed her flying Regalia, the young queen of music came back for more. The notes that targeted Senketsu's Life Fibers nearly finished us, until I discovered I could deflect the frequencies with my scissor blade. What's more, I could send my own powerful frequencies from 100% Life Fiber right back at her face. This was the twist that defeated her.

As I prepared to start the final battle with Sanageyama, I thought things were going well. …I was wrong.

When I first saw Harime Nui, she looked like a combination of Angel and Demon. The cutesy way she dressed at first disguised her age, but getting a good look at her I thought she could only be about a year younger than me. She looked like some western princess—if I had to guess, French? Her golden blond hair fell into long, curly pigtails, her smile was beyond adorable, and her eyes as strangely blue as my own. Yet from the way everyone reacted to her appearance, she could have been a malicious Devil. Even Satsuki lost her cool somewhat. When Nui asked what fun thing she was up to, Satsuki stated with hatred that she was not obligated to answer.

"Oh, how cold of you," Nui said, staring up at Satsuki with sparkling eyes. "I thought you and I were two hearts beating as one! All day, and all night too." She ended the sentence with a knowing chuckle.

The Elite Four looked horrified, and Jakuzure looked like someone had stabbed her in the back. Nui made several more implicating statements and left me wondering how much of Satsuki's history involved lesbian relationships. I wondered how I could think Nui was so perfect when I already had my perfect girl: Mako.

Nui disassembled Sanageyama's Uniform with one pull of its central Life Fiber string. Then I began to see the true Demon in this "little princess." She also said she wanted to fight me, but I really didn't know if I could swing a blade at her when she looked, physically, like she was defenseless. Impatient for my reaction, Nui pulled out her own blade—or the other half of MY blade, rather, as it was a scissor blade identical to mine in all but color.

"Yep, it was me!" Nui smiled girlishly. "I was the one who killed your father."

After she said that, all sense of rationality left me. I forgot about wanting to fight Satsuki. I forgot about wanting to tell Mako that I loved her. I forgot everything except for the Demon in front of me. I tried hacking her with my scissor, but she parried every blow with her own. Even so, she said that she only hoped the two of would "have fun together."

"Screw you!" I roared. "Why would I play around with my dad's murderer?!"

Nui's answer would have given me a very good idea of how she was raised, if I had been paying attention. But to me it sounded like garbage.

"You're so narrow minded," the girl sighed. "Love and hate are two sides of the same coin. The better an outfit's lining, the better the stitching is, too. That is to say, the more you hate someone, the more you can love them in turn."

As we fought, and Nui kept flirting with me, and my fury grew all the more. She also told me how fun it had been to stab my father, and what a pity it was that she hadn't waited at the house for such a "cute" girl as me. To top it all off, she straight up laughed at my scissor sword and told me cheerily that avenging my father with such a toy would be impossible.

That's when I truly "lost it." Senketsu had warned me that my rage was too great, but I ignored him, and suddenly everything went black for a minute. Jerking back into consciousness, I felt overpowered by the smell of blood in the air, and the only other things I felt were the livid wrath and the compulsion to kill Harime Nui. I staggered after, roaring. I was not at that point aware that I turned into a Monster.


	5. I am Not Attracted to Stupidity

Unaware that the fighting grounds and the towers had crumbled to ruins because of my monstrous power, unaware that Mako was on her way to try to save me, unaware that blood spurted and poured from half a dozen places on my monstrous body, I rampaged after the laughing Demon, Harime Nui. A few times I felt suddenly cold, and as I slipped over dark red puddles, part of me wondered if I had already lost all my blood. At that time I didn't know that my body could regenerate itself. Even with that defense, though, it was only a matter of time. My blood spilled faster than my body could regenerate it. I don't know if I was dreaming but I thought I saw the Mohawk man setting off explosives to stop me. Vaguely I saw Sensei Aikurou targeting me with a Life Fiber jamming bullet, but I didn't care. I only wanted to get to Nui and tear her to shreds.

When Satsuki interfered, approaching me with Bakuzan and glowing with Life Fiber stars, my wrath reached "the boiling point." Before our blades even touched, a sea of dark, sparkling energy gushed out from me; it must have been raw Life Fiber Energy. Then I heard Mako screaming—at me? Impossibly, she swam through the sea of black and headed straight towards me. Satsuki stopped her own advance, and held Nui back as well, holding Bakuzan against the girl's throat. Mako had come out of nowhere again, and just like so many times before, she jumped at me. She clung to me, even though her skin must have burned just from touching me.

"Ryuuko-chan!" Mako screamed. "I haven't forgotten! This was never about avenging your father—it was just because you wanted to know more about him!"

I growled and tried to shake her off; enough sense had returned to me that I didn't want to kill her, but I could not speak.

"Now you're a monster!" Mako continued, with tears flowing down her burned face. "You're kicking and screaming and destroying the whole school! And you're acting just like I did, when I let the Fight Club get to my head!"

Again I tried to shake her off me, but she only clung more tightly.

"Back then, you brought me to my senses," Mako cried. "So now it's my turn to do the same! I will bring Ryuuko-chan back!"

With something like a battle-cry, Mako took one hand and slapped my monstrous face with everything she had. It didn't hurt, but it shocked me. She hit me again, this time thwacking at my jaw with the heel of her palm. She continued to slap me at least twenty times. The last blow would have been strong enough to bend back my neck and snap it if I had been a normal human. But I was not harmed; in fact, Mako's presence felt strangely calming. I felt heat leaving my body, I felt Senketsu's straps and skirt return to their normal form, and before I knew it, I found myself weakly standing and shivering, human again.

The sobbing Mako continued to slap me and beat on my chest until I fell on the ground flat on my back. Mako landed on top of me, and with her eyes still streaming she realized I had returned to sanity. I gazed up at her lovingly and tried to put on a weak smile.

"Thank you, Mako," I whispered.

I felt myself beginning to drift away, and I apologized to Senketsu for forcing him to take part in my rampage. Then I looked up at Mako again, overwhelmed with the urge to kiss her, but feeling too weak to move.

"You nearly died from blood loss!" Mako exclaimed, and she threw her arms around my neck and kept crying.

It felt so good to have her clinging to me, lying on top of me, but her voice drifted away. My last thought before passing out was that I hoped I was not dying, because I wanted to stay with my Mako.

**break**

I woke up on the spare futon in the Mankanshoku house several days later. I felt weak and dizzy since my body had not yet regenerated all of my blood. I also felt sick whenever I thought of the monster I had become. Even so, I snuck out of bed and crept back to the ruins of the school fighting grounds. I needed to see Satsuki; I had to verify once and for all that Harime, not Satsuki, had killed my father.

"Harime Nui has been forbidden from setting foot in Honnouji Academy," Satsuki told me, speaking as if confiding in me somewhat. "Listen, I gave the order to retrieve the Scissors from Dr. Matoi, so if you need to resent someone, then resent me. Furthermore, I know all the answers you seek. Why did Nui decide to kill Dr. Matoi? What exactly is a Kamui? What exactly are Life Fibers?"

"Then fight me and tell me those answers," I challenged. "What's more," I added to try to insult her, "you can tell me about your little scandals with Jakuzure and little Miss Harime, too. Haha! I bet you just sleep around with a bunch of girls in your spare time!"

Satsuki actually looked amused instead of insulted. "I would only tell you my history," she said, "if I intended to make a move on YOU next. And well, to be honest, I am not attracted to stupidity. You must be even more of an idiot than I thought, if you believe you can fight me now. You haven't recovered from your rampage yet."

I leaped at Satsuki, but she knocked me in the gut with her sheathed Bakuzan, winding me. While I tried to catch my breath, she told me about her plan to subjugate the other three major academies with her perfected Goku Uniforms. She would use the students as her army. Hearing this made me want to fight her even more, but unfortunately Satsuki's earlier statement was correct. I had not recovered from my monstrous rampage yet. As Satsuki took her leave and I stumbled back to Mako's house, I felt almost too tired to be angry.

Mako took care of me like a little angel for the next few days, fetching food and water for me, making tea, insisting that I rest, and making sure her dad didn't try an unsanitary blood transfusion on me. One day, she scolded me for getting up and trying to go for a ride to clear my head.

"If I have to force you to stay in that futon, I will," Mako shook her head at me. "I'll do it by any means necessary!"

Mako proved her statement by getting into the futon with me.

"There, now if you move, I'll poke you and tickle you."

For a moment I quietly enjoyed feeling Mako's body snuggled against mine, and then I said in a low voice, "Hey, Mako. You're more than a best friend to me, you know. Mako, do you think it would be wrong if I… if I kissed you?"

"Right now?!" exclaimed Mako, sitting up. Then she started fidgeting more than an ADHD girl on caffeine. "Um—um—l-listen, Ryuuko-chan. You're more than just a best friend to me, too. And I don't think we're quite like sisters. But I'm—I'm not sure if… if I'm ready… for something like what you want. I think my family would disapprove if I kissed another girl."

I tried to smile through my disappointment. "If you don't feel ready to... well... be with me in that way, it's alright. I'll wait for you. I know you can find the confidence. But I do have a request. Until you know what you want to do, can you… can you just not date anyone?"

Mako chuckled, "Oh, so you still think I like Gamagori, huh? I don't mind your request at all. It's not the same as dating, but you and me are all each other has right now. So Mako is reserved for Ryuuko. And Ryuuko is reserved for Mako. Oh, and Senketsu doesn't count as cheating because he's a uniform."

I laughed and hugged Mako. "That sounds ok with me."

**break**

Nearly a week later, my blood had restored itself, but I no longer wanted to leave my futon. My appetite had left me, too. I had not worn Senkestu for days. Was it safe to wear him, I wondered? I knew Senketsu would never hurt me, but I might hurt him. I had forced him to go along with my rampage. I had bent him to my will and forced him to drink quarts of my blood, even as he had wept bitterly. This troubled me so much that I thought about no longer fighting.

Mako brought me a visitor: Nagita Shinjirou, the young student journalist. He painted me as a Revolutionary and tried to convince me wear Senketsu and fight. I made him leave the house, while he screamed about me being Honnouji's "virtuous star of hope." What a load of crap. Nobody should call me virtuous after what I done to Senketsu, taking advantage of him for the sake of selfish rage.

"Even so," Senketsu told me the next day, "do not reject me. I WANT to be worn by you. I was likely born for that very purpose. …Every time I drink your blood, that feeling grows stronger."

I listened to him while sitting in my futon. I had stayed home from school that day, not knowing Mako would be forced to join the School Raid, and not knowing that Shinjirou would come running back to me. When he did, a bunch of bullies were beating the tar out of him. At that point I decided to take responsibility for my own actions. I donned Senketsu once more. Then I rushed in to save Shinjirou from the bullies.

You can imagine my amazement and horror when the disguise fell apart and I found myself facing Harime Nui. She wanted to fight me again, though I had no idea why, since I was unaware that my father had taken out one of her eyes. I tried fighting, but Nui could tell that I held back, fearing loss of control. My blade was knocked out of my hands. Suddenly the little Demon said she was bored. Leaping up, she struck from behind on her way back down. Twice more she sliced at me with the scissor. Each time, she slashed critical points on Senketsu. I faded into unconsciousness as my nightmare came true and Senketsu fell apart into tatters.


	6. Ready to Come out of the Closet?

After I woke up in his office again, my perverted Sensei Mikisugi Aikurou gave me the scarf from Senketsu, where apparently the Kamui's main center of consciousness rested. Senketsu could still talk to me; he still lived. He could also sense the whereabouts of the other pieces of him. He had been severed into at least fifty patches which now adorned the troops of that bitch Satsuki. I decided to retrieve those scraps at once.

"Not that you need another reason to go after the School Raid Troops," Mikisugi commented, "but I also happen to know that Miss Mankanshoku went with them. It seems she was made to join them as punishment."

"Mako's there, too?!" I cried in disbelief. "Shit, I need to be there RIGHT NOW! Wait, dammit. How will I get there? I've got no bike, the buses are too slow… and hell, I have to find some clothes!"

Mikisugi laughed. "No need to fret, Ryuuko-kun. I'll be taking my car—the Nude Shooting Star!—so you can ride with me OR take the red motorcycle I use for secret missions. And there's a girl's maroon tracksuit on one of the shelves behind you."

"First, I'm NOT riding with you," I snapped. "Second, why the hell do you have a high school girl's tracksuit in your office? And third…" I gave a cheeky grin… "thank you, Sensei. I'll be off as soon as I get changed. Yes, that means you have to leave the room, by the way."

**Break***

Soon I took off. Charging into the first of the "big three" academies with the bike engine roaring, I found Gamagori first. (Since I suspected him of forcing Mako to join, I busted his face up with my front wheel.) I took about ten of Senketsu's scraps from the soldiers and raced to my next destination. There I saw Jakuzure, and completely ignored her as I took about twenty of Senketsu's scraps. The other twenty came from Sanageyama's troops in Osaka, and there I finally found Mako.

At first I wondered if she was alright, since I had seen several soldiers bullying her for not fighting. Then I noticed her enormous sack of Osaka souvenirs, and I knew that I had nothing to worry about. She just grinned at me and said she was happy to see me. When she saw the scraps of Senketsu, Mako seemed shocked, but I assured her I would put my Kamui back together. She compared my affection for Senketsu to her obsession with money. I laughed about it and then, despite the situation, I teased Mako a bit.

"Mako," I asked in mock-seriousness, "which do you love more? Me, or money?"

"Ryuuko-chan, no fair! I already proved that you're more important."

"Alright, alright," I smiled, remembering the Fight Club. "Hey, on a side note, there's something I haven't told you yet, Mako. I'm set to inherit a good amount of money from my father, but it won't be mine to manage till I turn eighteen next fall."

"You're going to be a rich person?!" cried Mako.

"Not really," I grinned, "since I'm going to share it with your whole family. Especially with you."

"Ryuuko," said Mako with her eyes sparkling and her voice trembling. "Now you've done it! Ryuuko, I love you!"

"Ready to come out of the closet yet?" I inquired casually.

Mako shook herself out of her haze with effort. "Wait, Ryuuko-chan—this battle comes first! You have to get Senketsu back to normal!"

I ruffled her hair affectionately. "Alright then. I guess you're right. There's only one more piece of cloth to find! Senketsu, can you tell where it is?"

Unfortunately, Senketsu said that the holder of that final fragment was Satsuki. Furthermore, he could not transform into our fighting mode in his current condition. I swore, however, that I would take on even Satsuki to reach my goal. Mako climbed on the back of the bike, held on tight, and then shouted as I took off at a crazy speed.

***Break***

I soon found Satsuki. After telling Mako to go somewhere safe, I prepared to face her. However, just then Mikisugi and the members of Nudist Beach joined me. Even Tsumugu, the Mohawk man, was there. I thought I had seen enough twists for one day, but then the Elite Four began battling Mikisugi's forces, telling us that the true intention of the School Raids was to "smoke out" Nudist Beach and destroy it. I ran from the heat of the battle long enough to try to assemble Senketsu to the best of my ability.

Mako came out of nowhere again.

"I told you to run someplace safe!" I exclaimed.

"Yeah," said Mako, "that's why I came here. The safest place I know is by your side!"

I felt flattered, but my mind was really focused on the battle just yards away.

I asked Senketsu, now in one piece, to let us transform into battle mode. He could let his bioenergy flow by coursing through my hand instead of his glove piece, which Satsuki now wore. Though Senketsu swore human flesh could not withstand the flow of Life Fiber energy, he finally agreed to let me try. It worked, though my hand sustained a serious burn: I transformed and snatched the glove from right under Satsuki's nose. At last, Senketsu had been completely reassembled.

My battle with Satsuki raged on fiercely, as the Elites and Honnouji soldiers clashed against Mikisugi's forces. I lost my scissor blade again, and Mako tried to bring it back to me, but Gamagori blocked her. They were at an impasse, and soon Satsuki and I fought to a draw. We agreed that she would order her troops to leave and both of us would walk away unharmed. Satsuki agreed, and her troops began to retreat.

(When Gamagori withdrew, he said something to mako I couldn't hear. I would have to ask later, I thought.)

Meanwhile, Satsuki said she would leave Bakuzan with me since I had stolen it in battle.

"Kiryuuin, keep it." I threw the fine sword back to her. "The Kiryuuin Satsuki I know is not petty enough to take back an order just because she retrieved her weapon."

"I am pleased that you recognize my honor," Satsuki said with a grim smile.

"Honor in battle, maybe," I laughed. "But I'm still gonna mock you for your shady history. Jakuzure cares about you a lot, doesn't she? I WONDER what that means. And anyone who was 'involved' with a Demon like Nui is a piece of—"

Satsuki unsheathed her black sword again. "Say no more, you vile mudslinger," she ordered hatefully. "I won't say this again, so listen well. Jakuzure is only dear to me because she is critical to my plans. By pointing out my—my affection for Jakuzure, you sought to pinpoint a weakness. But Jakuzure has already agreed to give her life for my plans, so I have betrayed no element of weakness!"

I felt somewhat bewildered, and said, "Calm down, Little Miss Bitch. I was just kidding!"

"Then jest with me no more, if you value your life." She bit back. "And do not ever accuse me of 'involvement' with Harime Nui." I thought I heard her add, "Nui and my mother specialize in deceit. Neither are capable of love."

An explosion followed, and Jakuzure appeared with the report that she had destroyed Nudist Beach's Headquarters.

"Well done," said Satsuki evenly. "We have crushed the fools that opposed us. The true mission of Tri-School Raid has been fulfilled. There is no reason to rescind my order to return to Honnouji. Matoi, I applaud your valiant efforts, but you merely surprised me. The same trick will not work again."

Satsuki took off in a large helicopter, her troops rolled away in their Humvees, and I stood on the destroyed battlefield with Mikisugi and Mako. Before long, Mikisugi informed me that he was ready to talk—to explain everything he knew about my father and Life Fibers.

***Break***

It turned out that Nudist Beach had an emergency base underground which Jakuzure hadn't touched; to get there, we would have to dive under the river. Mikisugi, who had been a spy the whole time and not just a perverted teacher, recommended everyone dive "skinny dip" style. Mako and I, of course, ignored that suggestion. Mako somewhat flattered me by looking me in the eye seriously and saying,

"I don't have the resolve to go nude yet, but I do have the resolve to be Ryuuko's friend forever!"

Soon we all reached the Base of Nudist Beach, the Life Fiber resistance force that had actually been started by my own father. Again, going into too much detail about everything I learned that day would betray the point of this memoire. Still, I'll explain what happened briefly, most because I still think it's hilarious how little Mako appeared to understand. It was also quite amusing to be able to guess the majority of what went on in Mako's head; as Senketsu out it, Mako and I functioned "on the same wavelength." Speaking of which…

"You really DO have a crush on Gamagori, don't you?" I snapped at Mako.

"I don't really think so," shrugged Mako. "He's sort of cute I guess. The main thing is that HE has a crush on ME! Isn't that shocking?!"

I kissed Mako's forehead quickly as if to claim her.

"It's not shocking at all," I whispered. "Who wouldn't fall in love with you, Mako?"

"Alright girls," Mikisugi interrupted. "I've got some explaining to do."

Most of Mikisugi's information came from Dr. Matoi, who had somehow acquired these secrets usually known only to the Kiryuuin Conglomerate. First, Life Fibers are actually extraterrestrial parasitic beings that took the form of cloth and drastically sped up the evolution of humans, who wore them. Life Fibers feed on human blood and in exchange supplied early humans with power enough to become the dominant species. (Mako was most shocked to hear that Senketsu was, as she put it, "ALIEN!")

The second major piece of the puzzle is that Life Fibers entered a dormant phase after assuring that humans were the dominant species. The Life Fibers were waiting until humanity had grown into the billions, and they would then start their feast. According to Mikisugi and my father, Life Fiber dormancy began to break about twenty years ago after Satsuki's mother, Ragyo, made contact with what was supposedly the original Life Fiber Being. Furthermore, Ragyo's corporation REVOCS had spread clothes all around the world that were imbued with Life Fibers.

To be honest, I did not take all this too well. I knew Senketsu was more than some dumb parasite. Mikisugi said I was right, in a way. Senketsu and I were the hope of all those who wished to resist Life Fibers. With my unexplained "extraordinary resistance" to Life Fibers, and a powerful Kamui only I could wear, I might be able to defeat Kiryuuin Ragyo before she further awakened Life Fibers. Senketsu and I could "save humanity."

Besides sounding corny as shit, this plan sounded an awful lot like it would force Senketsu to fight his own brethren. So I screamed that Nudist Beach could go to hell, and I took off Senketsu to prove I would never use him as some stupid weapon for humanity. Tsumugu, also present, responded by threatening to kill me and destroy Senketsu.

"Everyone," said Mako, "You're scaring me. Why don't we all calm down and eat some snacks?!"

A minute later she spit out the potato chip she had tried.

"This stuff sucks!" she exclaimed. "This whole thing sucks!"


	7. STEALTH COUPLE!

Having no sense of caution even with Tsumugu threatening to kill me, I said to him ironically, "You think your little threats can faze me? I could go full on naked to even the odds y'know."

Mako took my sarcasm seriously and stopped choking on stale potato chips to give one of her declarative species. As always, she looked completely serious when she did this.

"No!" she shouted at me. "A girl only reveals herself in full glory to the person she loves most in the world! Ryuuko, you don't honestly love Mr. Mohawk Man that deeply, do you?!" Ignoring my comment that she was missing the point, Mako went on, "After all, the reason you wear Senketsu is because you love him the most! You couldn't wear a piece of living clothing if you didn't love him. It would just be icky! This is what it means for a maiden to entrust her bare skin to someone!"

I wondered if there was something else Mako was trying to tell me other than staying clothed, but just then Senketsu said he WANTED me to wear him because otherwise I might catch cold. (By the way, Spring was already well underway.) Mako and Senketsu were both being so nonsensical and missing the point, I couldn't help but start laughing. The tension in the room suddenly lifted. Senketsu, Mako, and I were all giggling at and with each other. Tsumugu withdrew saying he "didn't feel like" shooting us anymore. After that, Mikisugi led us to a small spare room with two empty bunks that seemed more like barracks.

"Yaaay, bed!" cried Mako, leaping onto one of them. She looked up and studied me with her caramel eyes and lightly flushed cheeks. "Ryuuko-chan, we're on the same wavelength now! That means I understand what you're thinking about."

I blushed, hoping she hadn't noticed me glancing at her skirt when she leaped into bed. I put on a tough face and said that Mako couldn't possibly guess my thoughts.

"But I can," she insisted. "And to be honest, it's getting annoying!" She put on a stubborn expression, unaware of its cuteness. "You're thinking about me again, Ryuuko, when just earlier you were only thinking about Senketsu! You need to make up your mind."

"I need to make up MY mind?" I exclaimed, guessing what she had been trying to say. "YOU'RE the one who won't make up your mind about being with me! YOU'RE the one who lets Gamagori go after you!"

"Ryuuko-chan, you're just not being fair," Mako snapped with the beginnings of tears in her eyes. "You get so angry about the Gamagori thing, but you're allowed to make yourself naked in front of tons of other people because you want to combine with Senketsu or whatever that is! Don't you think I feel jealous sometimes too?"

I suddenly understood her outburst earlier and fell silent. I sat beside Mako on the bunk, and slowly took her hand. Both of our hands, I noticed, were trembling.

"I'm so, so sorry, Mako," I stated in a low voice. "I didn't know you'd been feeling this way. I know you don't quite understand Life Fibers, but I have to show my skin to transform and fight with Senketsu. I promise I don't do it because I want attention. And look, it's not about who I love more. I love you and Senketsu equally, but in different ways."

Mako wiped her eyes with her free hand and squeezed my hand with her other. "You love us—in different ways?" she sniffled.

"Yes," I nodded sincerely. "Senketsu is a friend, a battle partner, and someone I can always trust and count on. But I can't, well—I can't feel anything like 'romantic love' for another species… that's just not how it works. Mako, you're the one I feel THAT way about. I… I want to be able to kiss you… I want to take you on a date… I want you to stay with me, like, all the time. Dammit, I fell in love."

Mako hugged me suddenly. Somewhat surprised, I looked into her eyes. She was still crying a little, but she didn't look unhappy. Her body trembled and she moved her face closer to mine as if she was about to say something important. At the last moment, she smiled, closed her eyes, and quickly but fervently kissed my lips.

"Mako!" I almost shouted in surprise.

She leapt away from the bunk, blushing all the way up to her ears and saying, "Sorry Ryuuko, Mako got carried away! Um… I'm really happy to hear you feel this way about me… and I'm happy that you love me and Senketsu the same, in different ways. I won't be jealous anymore. But still, you see, my family might be treated bad by the rest of the alley people if it got out that I liked another girl. My dad might lose his clinic because of the reputation it would give us."

"Hmm, that IS a pretty serious problem," I admitted. "Those jerks in Honnou-town shouldn't judge love like that, but I have no problem believing they do think that way. I've got an idea, though, Mako."

"And I already know what your idea is," Mako bragged, "because I can read your mind, Ryuuko-chan. We can be a top secret, nobody-knows-but-us-and-Senketsu, super-ultra-hush-hush STEALTH COUPLE!"

Laughing wholeheartedly, I agreed. "I would love that. We won't make it obvious when we're around other people. We probably shouldn't risk dates yet. Oh, and don't worry," I added quickly, "I'm new to this whole thing too. It's almost as scary for me as for you. We'll go slowly, so we can trust each other each step of the way."

"I really do like you, Ryuuko," Mako smiled. "A whole lot."

***Break***

Night had fallen, and I had been outside in the ruins of Osaka talking to Senketsu and Mikisugi. Hearing Mikisugi explain the Mohawk Man's past proved somewhat interesting, but what happened next turned out infinitely more so.

Jakuzure briefly returned to the site of the above-ground headquarters she had destroyed. She looked ready to pounce at us at a moment's notice if one of us moved, but she initiated no attack. She put on a smug smile and said she figured she hadn't really destroyed ALL of us "naked apes." Then she threw something—a piece of cloth?—and I caught it out of the air perfectly. Actually, it was an envelope and enclosed letter.

"You came all this way to deliver a letter?" I asked, scowling.

"I would do anything for Satsuki-sama," the petite girl replied. "The content of that letter is for your eyes alone."

Jakuzure took to the air and left after that, and I opened the letter almost at once, not really caring that Mikisugi could probably see it too. If this was some kind of manipulation from Satsuki or Nui, then Nudist Beach should know about it too. The letter read,

"Matoi,

This letter serves as your invitation to the Grand Culture and Sports Festival. I have sent it in secret, and Jakuzure is the only one other one who knows of it. If you receive duplicates, or if you receive any form of letter or communication from Harime Nui, do not believe a word of it. She may convince you stay away from Honnouji, or she may attempt to establish false friendship with you. I have a very good reason for inviting you to the Festival personally. You will understand when you arrive. I hope to see you even stronger than you were during our previous battle, and smarter as well, though the second hope is probably pointless. Regards, Lady Kiryuuin Satsuki."

"Sounds like a trap," said Mikisugi as I closed the letter carelessly. "She called it the Grand Culture and Sports Festival, did she? I'll investigate this and see if anything noteworthy comes up. No, you can keep the letter, Ryuuko-kun. If I need to look at it again, I'll find you. Meanwhile, enjoy the great fortune of a personal letter from the marvelous Satsuki-sama."

"Shut the hell up," I said in response to his sarcasm.

After Mikisugi left, I realized to my surprise that a small, torn piece of paper had been slipped in the envelope beside Satsuki's Letter. I began to read it and felt more and more like it must be some kind of prank. There was no way this could be real.

"Listen, Transfer Student," I read the scrap of paper under my breath, "you had better obey Satsuki on this one. Come and help us fight. If you don't, then next time I see you, I swear I'll kill you. Do you have any idea how much time and effort Satsuki put into making you stronger? Just this once, trust her. And one more thing. What Satsuki said about Nui is the truth. Don't EVER make an alliance with her. Listen, that little girl is messed up. Besides being a puppet of the Life Fibers, that little bitch really, really hurt Satsuki-chan. She'll try and do the same to you, and even though we kind of hate your guts, we need you untampered. Signed, Jakuzure nonon."

I couldn't make heads or tails of this message, and thought it must be some kind of elaborate trap. Why would Satsuki need ME? And did she honestly think I would ever take her side? What the hell was that about making me stronger? All Satsuki ever did was bully people around and make me pissed off, I thought. And of course I would never ally myself with that Demon Nui. Why would Jakuzure ever think that? And what she mean about getting hurt?

"Makes no sense," I muttered. "I'm going to bed."


	8. HeyWhere's Mako?

8: "Hey… Where's Mako?"

The following day, Mikisugi called everyone to the surveillance room and showed us what was about to happen at Honnouji Academy. Ragyo, Satsuki's mother and the CEO of the REVOCS Corporation, would attend Honnouji's Grand Culture and Sports Festival; even more alarming, she had shipped massive quantities of Life Fiber imbued clothing to the Academy. Ragyo intended to gather a mass of people wearing REVOCS clothing and offer them as sacrifices to help reawaken the Life Fibers across the world. According to Mikisugi, Ragyo had been planning this "experiment" for many years.

When I heard that Mako's parents and brothers would undoubtedly be attending the mandatory "Festival", I flipped out. I didn't care in the least about saving the world, but there was no way I could sit back and let the Mankanshoku family be consumed by their clothes. My decision had been made: I would fight.

Soon, a strong team of Nudist Beach members had rallied to go with me, led by Mikisugi and that Mohawk man. Before leaving, I demanded that Nudist Beach take proper care of Mako. Mikisugi assured me that the remaining members underground would keep her safe. However, Mako came up to us out of nowhere again.

"Ryuuko, don't ditch me here!" she demanded fiercely.

"But Honnouji's not safe—" I began.

"It's my home!" Mako argued. "I've got souvenirs for mom and dad!"

As I sat on the red motorcycle, Mako dived onto the seat behind me and once again grabbed me tightly across the chest. I muttered in annoyance, but then Mako said what she really meant.

"If Ryuuko is going, Mako is going too!" She clung almost desperately.

At last I gave in, and before long we all set off.

As soon as we arrived at Honnouji, we knew from the screaming that the sacrifices had started. Mako agreed to stay out of the stadium for the time being, but I was sure she would sneak back in eventually. I climbed aboard Mikisugi's DTR robot and we scaled the stadium walls. We leaped downward toward the main stage where Satsuki and Ragyo stood. All around us, the stadium was filled with some eighty thousand people: all the residents of Honnou-town and all the academy students. They looked like they had been wrapped in bundles of black and red cloth, and they were silent as death.

The moment the DTR landed, I rushed over with my scissor and challenged Ragyo, but it turned out I didn't need to. Satsuki suddenly stabbed her mother in the back and hurled her body onto a pillar like a crucifix, impaling and trapping her there. I wish I would have known how amazing that must have felt for Satsuki, after all the evil and abuse she had endured for thirteen years, and after all her time planning against her disgusting mother. As it was, I could not comprehend her feelings, and I simply stared in disbelief.

Not only had Satsuki betrayed her mother, but she did it for the sake of rebelling against Life Fibers, not to try to replace her mother. Satsuki explained that Honnouji was her fortress to combat Ragyo, and that's why she had enforced military rules. Furthermore, Satsuki had been only five when she heard Ragyo's evil plans from her father, who hated Ragyo after the heartless woman killed their baby during a Life Fiber experiment. Satsuki's father, like mine, had been killed after betraying Ragyo. So Satsuki had a noble goal, though ultimately driven by the desire to avenge her father and unnamed baby sister.

By the time I snapped out of my shock, the self-regenerating Ragyo had somehow escaped Satsuki's crucifix. She used "Mental Refitting" to control students by disrupting their nervous systems with threads of pure Life Fiber. Before I knew it, she must have had me under her control too. Most of my consciousness was gone and anything I sensed was like a dream; my body moved by itself and began attacking Satsuki.

"No," I tried to think. "No, Satsuki has the same purpose as us. Now I understand why she wanted me to come to the Festival. I was supposed to help her! Why am I fighting her?"

My consciousness was crumbling, but then I sensed another presence: Senketsu. I remembered then that nobody should be allowed to force my Kamui to do anything he didn't wish to do. That resolve broke through the fog in my brain, and I pulled Ragyo's damn Life Fiber right out of my head, not even feeling the wound where it must have made a hairline penetration through my skull. Ragyo stared at me in bewilderment for a second, because normal humans should not have the Life Fiber resistance to ever escape her mental threads. I prepared to transform and take Ragyo down.

Nui appeared. When she started cheerfully talking about killing my father, I decided to leave Ragyo up to Satsuki and take out the little Princess Demon. My synchronization with Senketsu was better than ever before, and felt amazing. Nui could not hide the astonishment of seeing a "normal human" so powerful. I swung my scissor at her, she parried, and we began the swordplay as we each leapt around impossibly fast.

I became so wrapped up in the fight I didn't see, at first, that Satsuki had failed to kill her mother. I also didn't see the attack coming from the sky. (When Satsuki first stabbed Ragyo, she also released the audience from the parasitic clothes, ensuring their sacrifice would not awaken the Original Life Fiber. However, unknown to me, Satsuki's comrade Iori had been ordered to attack the great Life Fiber bundle at the Kiryuuin estate. This "woke" the Life Fiber enough to send hundreds of suit-like cloth monsters to Honnouji.) Senketsu was the one who told me to look to the sky. We both stared at the cloth monsters in fear and amazement.

Ragyo said the monsters were COVERS, "beings born from the Original Life Fiber," but I didn't care what she was saying. My eyes leaped from Ragyo—now wearing Junketsu—to Satsuki, who was being held up by her hair with a bruised face and wearing nothing but underwear. For some reason, something inside of me exploded with outrage. How could ANYONE do such a thing to Satsuki, always so dignified, always sure she could conquer the world? Ragyo threw her daughter across the stadium and I wasn't sure if the impact of the fall had actually killed her or not. At any rate, she was out of the fight. Just what kind of Monster could Ragyo really be?!

I lost too much time staring at the place Satsuki's body had hit; before I knew it, life as I had so far experienced it was over. Ragyo suddenly turned on me, and with the power of Junketsu she shot her hand straight through my chest. She ripped out my heart. But something was wrong. I wasn't dying. I barely felt anything. I heard Ragyo's voice like a distant hum,

"…Your body has been fused with Life Fibers just like mine. Ah, and here I thought you were dead, daughter of mine."

The truth of those words fought with my mind for recognition, but I would not allow it. It could not be true. Blindly, I swung my blade, and it took Ragyo's hand clean off, but she only laughed as I screamed at her. She laughed because my heart was being pulled back into me and repaired, and there could be no denying it. I ran toward Ragyo for another swipe, but behind me a voice suddenly spoke.

"How extremely amusing and interesting!" exclaimed Nui, arms folded innocently behind her back as if she wasn't hiding a deadly scissor blade. "Oh, I knew there was something special about you! Ryuuko-chan, you're the greatest!"

Satsuki's final trap proved highly effective. The grand platform where I had been cornered by Nui and Ragyo exploded. Right afterward, the walls up and down the (now evacuated) stadium seats also burst into force and flame. I felt my skin burning, and my sense of gravity and space disappeared. Large pieces of rubble were falling all around me, and dust and rocks pummeled me.

Half consciously, while falling, I whispered, "Hey… Where's Mako?"

Senketsu responded to my voice like always, but earing him was terrible. "I saw her from the platform while you were frozen in shock. I'm sorry. One of the COVERS consumed her. Ryuuko, I will not let them take you."

I crashed onto a pile of rubble, felt horrible pain as several bones broke, and instant relief as they regenerated. A tear fell from my already healing face.

"Goodbye, Senketsu," I whispered. "If Mako's not here, there's no point in trying anymore. If Ragyo's right, then I can't die. Well then, Senketsu. I'm going to sleep. I don't intend to wake up. Goodnight."


	9. I'm The Only One Who Understands You

9: "I'm The Only One Who Understands You"

A lot happened while I slept, but at the time I knew nothing of it. I barely remember that time. Everybody says I simply seemed asleep, except that I stayed in that state for a full month. Vaguely, I can recall a few times I woke. Each was momentary, and immediately I felt so heavy that I had no choice but to lay there and fall asleep again. I also remember a few strange dreams about my dad and how he must have once been a handsome young scientist… married to the CEO of REVOCS Corporation, Kiryuuin Ragyo. Now that I think of it, the dreams weren't wrong, but they felt worse than nightmares.

Burning in my unconscious was the desire to stay asleep and never wake up. Mako and I are both stubborn. Hell, so is Satsuki. We're a bunch of seriously stubborn bitches. But that same stubbornness is ultimately what woke me up, too.

Somebody was playing some truly terrible music… No, that couldn't possibly be music, I thought, mostly asleep. The awful music continued, though, and wakefulness began intruding into my consciousness. Damn that noise! It felt like it made my nerves vibrate and stiffen. I began tossing and turning. Damn that noise! It probably felt so strange because I had actually been hearing Kamui-damaging frequencies like the ones Jakuzure hid in her music. Finally it happened—the damn noise finally got me up.

"No way in hell am I gonna get back to sleep now," I thought furiously. "That damn noise! I bet it's the COVERS. Alright then, monsters. You woke me up and I'm going to KILL you."

Then I sprang from my Futon, realized I was naked, automatically glanced at Senketsu, and then spat on him in disgust. I picked up a tattered, dirty-white spare blanket and wrapped it around me like a cloak. Next I rushed like a bat out of hell toward that damn noise.

The COVERS, indeed, had been responsible for it. The Elite Four and a few Nudist Beach members were outnumbered by an army of COVERS playing frequencies that tried to jam other Life Fibers. I took out the small army of cloth monsters in a single explosive blow. For a minute I stood there panting, still pissed that I had been forced to wake. Then it hit me that Mako was standing right over there with Mikisugi and Gamagori, freshly rescued from one of the COVERS. Seeing Mako alive should have been enough to calm me down, but I realized then that, of course, Mako was human. She could not understand a monster like me; she could not fall in love with something inhuman.

Senketsu approached from behind, moving on his own and shouting, "Ryuuko! You're awake!"

"Get away from me," I told him in a dangerous voice. "I'm done with you. I'm never wearing you again." I turned to face him and spoke hatefully, without pity. "Just looking at you pisses me off! After all, we're both the same breed of Monster. Yeah, that's right—I'm not human! I am a Life Fiber Monster!"

Senketsu appeared to hurt and shocked to speak. Mako tried to convince me that the Kamui was my friend and that I wasn't being myself. She got so worked up about and so determined to get my attention she leapt on me, clinging to my body, but this time I didn't fall. I vaguely wondered if Mako knew she was naked besides Nudist Beach's black vest and combination underwear-belt. I only wore a sheet and there she was with her arms and legs wrapped around me like she was a Koala. I had to look away from her before I could answer,

"You're right, I'm not myself. My life up to this point has been a lie. I turned out to be a Monster. I'm not human, just some unkillable freak of nature like Ragyo."

Mako tried to say something, but just then one of Nui's cloth copies appeared and greeted me cheerily. She asked why I was ignoring her even though she had murdered my father. Instantly I wanted to kill her again. I tossed Mako off me and sliced the cloth before me into shreds. In its place, a cloth copy of Ragyo herself appeared. Ragyo kept calling me her daughter, and tried—of all things—to tell me that she understood my rage. Ignoring the others behind me like Gamagori, I sliced at the floating Ragyo again and again. Each time she regenerated instantly and said something else obnoxious. She even asked if I hated her, after which I said I would kick her ass all the way to hell.

Ragyo then invited me back to Honnouji, currently her main base of operations, to fight she and Nui. I knew it was a trap, but I didn't care. My rage had gone out of control again. Mikisugi warned me not to go, and in response I destroyed two buildings with one insanely powerful blow. I tried to tell everybody that it wasn't fair, that they could cast aside their uniforms and I would be stuck with Life Fibers my entire life. Senketsu appealed to me again, and again I told him not to come near me anymore. Ever stubborn, Mako tried to get through to me a second time, but I simply walked away. Nobody followed me, thank god.

***Break***

I stole a new purplish-red motorcycle from a bike shop and zoomed off toward Honnouji. I got over the wall by crash-landing one of the zip-line shuttles, just like I had done with Mako back on "No Late Day"…. I regretted shutting Mako out. I still loved her. As angry as I felt, I had wanted to kiss her one more time before leaving to fight to Ragyo. But how stupid, I told myself. If I thought about Mako now, I could not concentrate on finding a way to kill Ragyo. So I burst free of the shuttle car with a roar and started slaughtering the COVERS that awaited me in the Honnouji courtyard.

Nui told me I looked "wild and cool" and it irritated me beyond belief that she seemed serious. She asked me what point there would be in killing she and Ragyo when I could never return to my old life. I snapped and we were soon at it with our scissor blades. I was genuinely trying to kill her, but she was merely playing with me. Meanwhile, unbeknownst to me, Nudist Beach and the Elite Four were attacking Honnouji at the same time, in an attempt to rescue Satsuki, who I still believed to be dead.

At some point I started hearing Nui's words over the sound of our blades clashing, and her tone had become so sincere that even I had trouble believing she could be lying.

"I understand, Ryuuko-chan. You're lonely, right? You believed you were human, but you were being kept alive by the same Life Fibers you considered enemies. So now, who exactly are your allies? Who are your enemies? There is no human in the world who can understand you."

I still didn't want to believe her, didn't want to hear my exact thoughts echoed back at me like that… I screamed at her to shut up and fight. Our blades clashed again and Nui looked me in the eye with her dazzling dark-blue eyes.

"You know, though, Ryuuko-chan?" she said affectionately. "You mustn't despair! You still have me. I'm the only one who understands you."

No! I drove my scissor straight through her body. However, Nui somehow recovered at once. She then tore out her own heart and proved to me that she, too, was a human fused with Life Fibers, capable of regenerating and healing from almost everything.

Nui also told me that she had developed in an artificial womb of Life Fibers, cared for by Ragyo. It was obvious that she had some of Ragyo's genes—both had that distinctly French look, and Satsuki looked much the same except for being half Japanese and inheriting her mother's stern, sharp features. That aside, Nui was actually my half-sister, born of the same mother. I myself looked like some wild mixture of little Nui and tall Satsuki. I suddenly wondered if I should really be killing my relatives, but I silenced the thought, and roared at Nui to shut the hell up.

Out of the blue, the trap went off: Nui had been stitching me with Life Fiber threads without my noticing, and Ragyo could now control me like a puppet. She pulled me into the air and I saw Jenketsu just feet away from me, glowing with a dazzling white radiance. Ragyo told me that Jenketsu was a heartfelt gift from Nui, and that it was the only thing suitable for me to wear. She stripped me and began attaching a newly tailored Junketsu to my body.


	10. Something to Feel Good About

10: "Something to Feel Good About"

Fear and helplessness replaced my rage and confusion. I didn't want to wear Junketsu. I thought it would take control of me completely. Its eyes were cruel and not at all like Senketsu. Pain seared through me every time another piece of the Kamui was stitched onto my skin. Ragyo's voice was incongruently soft and kind, telling me to give my heart to Junketsu. As if watching myself from afar, I heard myself screaming for it to stop. I felt Ragyo's fingers crawling over my body. I didn't want her to touch me, but her fingers were impossibly skillful. She was playing with my body and making me feel things I didn't understand. Nobody had touched me there. Nobody should unless I allowed it. I couldn't stand it anymore. I shouted "STOP!" but then my eyes felt suddenly blinded.

I found myself unaware of the real world, half-consciously focusing on the images that began to play in my mind. Were they memories? A kindly Frenchwoman held a happy infant with scraggly black hair and blue eyes—me. Then I saw myself as a toddler: smiling, clean, and dressed adorably. In reality, I had been called an ugly and angry child; Dad rarely bothered to buy clothes for me, and I always felt the emptiness of being without a mother. But the images I saw showed me walking home from middle school with Ragyo by my side and a balloon in my hand. I saw myself as a teenager in an attractive women's suit, going to church with Ragyo: the church where I would soon be married.

Last, I saw my current self, going on eighteen, wearing a wedding dress and standing at the Alter with someone—the image was unclear. I turned and saw my kind mother Ragyo, urging me on, and saying that my happiness had at last been found in the bliss of being worn by Life Fibers. Joy and euphoria coursed through me, and I had jumped into my mom's arms just as the images faded away. Had they been dreams? No. I felt sure that these were my memories as they were meant to be. If Dad hadn't taken me away, hadn't betrayed Ragyo… could I not have had a happy family?

I snapped back into consciousness to find tears of joy running down my face. The heaviness and rage had all gone from my body. Was this a dream too? I was lying on a soft white sheet, naked but unashamed, with Ragyo on one side of me and Nui on the other. Both their bodies were wonderfully soft, and when they touched me, I felt almost unworthy of such joy. Ragyo said that this was the bliss of being worn by Junketsu, and that not even Nui could experience it.

"The Life Fibers in little Nui's body reject all others," Ragyo explained as she fondled her daughter's body. "Even if she wears a Kamui, she cannot use its powers."

"That's why I decided to become the Grand Couturier," Nui said calmly and happily. "I'll just create the ultimate Kamui one day."

I felt as if threads were wrapped around me, tying me in place, but it didn't seem unnatural at all, as Ragyo's soothing voice praised Life Fibers. She explained that being worn by them is humanity's highest form of Joy. Then Nui's perfect, adorable face came close to mine and told me to try transforming; she couldn't wait to see me looking my best. I realized that I was indeed wearing Junketsu, and I activated Life Fiber Override mode like I had seen Satsuki do so many times.

The dreaminess of the scene faded, but the euphoria of Junketsu remained. I stood on the roof of one of Honnouji's buildings, with Ragyo and Nui staring delightedly at me in my new Kamui. Ragyo's assistant informed us that Satsuki had escaped, and the resentment I had felt for her for so long mingled with the euphoria of my new family and drove me even further from rational thought. Ragyo told me she would allow me to go deal with Satsuki, the one who had stabbed her own mother in the back. I prepared to leave at once.

"Um," said Nui, skipping close to me and smiling nervously. "Ryuuko-chan, do you still… want to avenge your father?"

I grabbed her chin with my white-gloved hand and pulled her into a kiss. What was the point of denying her perfection anymore? I stood there kissing with her for several seconds, and then pushed her away, in the spirit of being "wild and cool" like she admired. She blushed as she stumbled lightly backward.

"There," I grinned, "Something to feel good about!"

Knowing I would see them again shortly, I left Ragyo and my beautiful "sister" Nui behind. Using Junketsu's flying mode "Whirlwind", I flew off in pursuit of my real enemy, Satsuki.

***Break***

I remember very little of my fight with Satsuki. The psychological and sexual manipulation of Ragyo and Nui had forced me into a dissociated state where I was not fully aware of my actions or reality. On top of that, Junketsu felt like a drug that crazily amplified emotions. A little resentment toward Satsuki turned into a mad desire to kill her and destroy Nudist Beach's entire flagship. At the same time, Junketsu kept flooding me with wild euphoria, so I must have seemed seriously out of my mind.

I vaguely remember Satsuki wearing Senketsu but not being able to synchronize with him. I can also recall beating Satsuki savagely. This was only a ruse so that the Elite Four could close in on me, but just then Nui arrived. While she hugged me and held my face to hers, she simultaneously fended off the attackers. I launched back into action, and I think I would have killed Satsuki right then if Mako hadn't suddenly come out of nowhere again. I can't remember what she said, but she told me later she was trying to say she didn't care if I had Life Fibers in my body or not; she still loved me, and I was still myself. However, at the time I neither understood nor wanted to.

Mako would have been sliced in half by Nui, if Senketsu, now separate from Satsuki, had not pulled her aside. Then Mako ended up wearing Senketsu. Nui ordered me to kill them both. However, Satsuki suddenly cut a hole in Junketsu and told Senketsu to get inside the wound and untangle the threads keeping me attached to Junketsu. I felt him trying to enter through the wound. Mako was right there too, so to me it felt like she was being pulled into my mind along with Senketsu. This caused me to go, once again, into a state of half-consciousness, where Junketsu showed me strange images like memories or dreams.

I saw myself in the church again, eighteen and getting married. The man beside me had a slightly clearer form than before, but instead of having a face, his head seemed to be made of Life Fibers. That's right, I thought: this wasn't a man. I could never be attracted to a real human male. Rather, the figure beside me symbolized my beautiful unity with Life Fibers. However, my dream wedding was crashed by Mako, as she burst through the double doors wearing Senketsu. One of the broken door handles flew by me and knocked over the Life-Fiber-Man as if he were only a paper dummy. Mako looked more passionate than ever, with her light-brown eyes now looking almost golden and dancing with an urgent, severe fire.

"Ryuuko-chan, I came to get you!" she cried.

I remembered that in the outside world, the real world, Senketsu and Mako had been trying to remove Junketsu from me. My scissor blade appeared in my hand and I faced Mako in a fighting stance. My eyes burned with rage.

"I will KILL anyone who tries to destroy my happiness!"

Mako stuck her face just inches from mine and exclaimed, "How can you call this happiness? You and me were happy, weren't we? This stuff—this isn't like you at all!"

I told her to shut up, and became suddenly aware that my body and the church was almost completely white; only Mako was in color. Infuriated, I threw her off, only to have her jump onto me, clinging like she used to. Again I threw Mako down and again she and Senketsu clung to me, with Senketsu telling me to snap out of it. I lifted my blade, ready to bring it down in a deadly slicing hack.

"Fine, kill me!" shouted Mako, taking just a step backward. "If you're going to stay trapped in here forever, then kill me, and prove that you're not Ryuuko anymore!"

I brought my blade down, hard. It opened a ghastly line all down Mako's torso, and blood spurted out like water from a fountain. Mako could not even shout because of the shock. She stood staggering, wheezing, with her eyes wide in horror. Senketsu fixed me with a terrible gaze: "Look what you have done." And the horror began to overtake me, too. Surely I had not done it. I could not kill Mako. I loved Mako. The blood seemed to be turning into a stream, and my eyes were clouded by the red. Slowly, the dream world of Junketsu was fading away. Before it all disappeared I screamed,

"Mako! Don't leave me! It was you! It was you! You were my happiness…"

When I opened my eyes in reality, it was like waking to a storm. A river of black, sparkling Life Fiber Energy poured out of me. I saw Mako—the real Mako, still alive—being swept away by the wave. In a moment it cleared, and I tried to catch my breath after everything that had happened. I hadn't killed Mako in reality, but I had come too close. Wind began to stir in miniature cyclones around me, and pieces of the ship's deck were torn off and sent flying. I looked over at Nui and threw my scissor blade into HER, the one who actually needed to die. Gushing blood, Nui turned her head to face me with the question written on her face: What had happened?

"You don't get to do everything just as you damn well please!" I roared at the little Demon. "How DARE you force me to wear something I don't want?!" I began to tear at claw at Junketsu like an animal, even while I bled. "Screw it! I've had enough!"

"Matoi, stop!" Satsuki shouted. "If you try to take it off by force, you'll die!"

"Dying is fine by me if I can't get this off!" I screamed in reply, as blood poured from me like a sea. "I MUST get this thing off, even if it means risking my life!" I lowered my voice. "Because otherwise, I'll never be able to wear Senketsu again. …and I'll never be able to protect Mako!"

At last, I had come back to my senses. The nightmare had ended. All that remained was to survive and to kill Nui. I thought I began to understand Satsuki's history with the little Demon. Whatever strange love had been between Nui and me, it had all been mere illusion—no, deception. Nui's smooth young body and soft lips, Ragyo's love, and the "joy" of being overpowered by Junketsu—it had all been deception.


	11. Maybe You're Just a Lesbian

11: "Maybe You're Just a Lesbian"

Nui and I should have both been dead—she had been impaled my scissor sword, and I had lost more blood than should even be possible. But we both had the excuse of being inhuman and having Life Fibers regenerating our bodies. Satsuki, on the other hand, must have been incredibly strong to even remain conscious after the pummeling I had given her earlier. And then, of course, we have Mako—completely unharmed by the wave of energy that had exploded from within me. She stood up in her cute, matching panties-and-bra, and threw Senketsu to me. I Synchronized with him in no time and began to battle Nui.

Shortly, I kicked Nui with a blow that sent her flying. Both pieces of the scissor sword—mine red and the other purple—were finally in my control. I could fight with them now just the way my dad had intended. It was a close battle, and I thought I was done for when Nui drove a needle as big as a kitchen knife through my throat from behind. But I blocked out the pain, knowing my body would heal in seconds, and I leaped behind the little Demon faster than her blue eye could follow. From behind, I used both the scissor blades and walloped off Nui's arms.

She didn't begin to freak out until she realized that her arms did not regenerate, and the old arms faded into red Life Fibers that Senketsu absorbed. Nui began screaming as blood sprung from her shoulders. Her life would be in danger if she couldn't stop the bleeding soon, because right then she was losing blood faster than her body could regenerate it. Nui completely lost her cool and yelled over and over again how much she hated us. I was tempted to cut off her head in the same way, "little sister" or not, but unfortunately Nui was rescued by Ragyo's assistant Hououmaru. They took off in a helicopter.

Senketsu stopped me from trying to give chase, warning me that I had lost a ton of blood and I needed to rest for a few hours. I hated letting Nui get away. On the plus side, though, a dozen or more large COVERS had landed on the ship when Nui was carried away. The Elite Four quickly defeated them, rescued the people trapped inside, and collected leftover Life Fibers that might be used to create Ultima Uniforms again in the future. Senketsu told me again to go rest, so I stumbled away from the skirmish behind me and started looking for Mako.

***Break***

I found Mako with her entire family, tending to the rescued victims of the COVERS. I heard Mr. Mankanshoku trying to explain to his wife that the rescued people were all anemic and malnourished after spending more than a month in a coma-like state with their blood being fed on by the COVERS. So that was what Mako had been through! I thought I had been having it rough, but while I slept for a month, Mako had been food for the COVERS until rescued by Gamagori. I started wondering if anything had happened between him and Mako, but at the same moment Mako saw me entering the medical area.

We both smiled awkwardly at each other. I must have looked tired and pale, and I was one of the few who remained clothed, wearing Senketsu's normal sailor uniform mode. In contrast, Mako looked full of life, like a thunderstorm had just passed over and the sun had come out. She wore Nudist Beach's combination underwear-belt and their somewhat revealing black vest. I thought she looked hotter than I had ever seen her before.

The tension broke and we both ran to each other and embraced. We held one another tightly. I wanted to kiss her right then, but her parents were only a few yards away. So, hand in hand, Mako and I walked inside into one of the secluded ship cabins. It had a window, so it wasn't too dark, and Mako said we could share the cabin.

For the first time, I initiated. I held Mako's small body, trembled nervously for a few seconds, and then kissed Mako on the lips. I was going to pull away because it was so awkward, but Mako held onto me and kissed me back. We both kissed each other till we ran out of breath, and then I embraced her again.

"Mako," I told her in a slightly trembling voice, "I'm so sorry I was asleep for so long, and that I went crazy. You would have lost it, too, though. Ragyo and Nui, man, they're really messed up. Ragyo plays around with her own daughters! And Nui—" I blushed and then steeled myself to tell Mako. "Nui bewitched me, and Junketsu poisoned my mind. Mako, while it was all happening, I—I k-kissed Nui."

To my relief, Mako laughed and poked me, saying, "Cheater, cheater, cheater! No, Ryuuko, I don't blame you at all. You went crazy for a while, and so you did some crazy things. Besides, to be fair, I cheated a little bit too. You see, Gamagori really DID like me. He asked if I would be together with him. I said no, of course—there's no way I could be his 'mistress'—but to mark that things were really over, I let him kiss my forehead."

I giggled. "Sheesh, all that buildup you gave, and it was only a peck on the forehead." Sitting down on the bunk, I continued, "Mako… Senketsu keeps telling me to rest. I'm going to lie down. Do you want to lie beside me for a little while? Just like when you'd get inside my Futon—"

Mako pushed me back so I was lying down, and kissed my lips lightly before resting her head on my chest. She started to say something, but a sudden interruption occurred.

It was Satsuki, looking at Mako and I from outside the open cabin window. A half-smile crossed her stern face. I still couldn't tell if she was being serious or not when she asked,

"Oh, can I join in?"

Mako shrieked, turned red as a tomato, leaped off me, and dived under the bunk. She was still extremely embarrassed. I sat up and glared daggers at Satsuki.

"Don't screw with me, you bitch," I said. "Listen, Mako's not out of the closet yet, so don't tell anyone! And for your information, no, you can't ever 'join in' because Mako and I are IN LOVE and you're just making fun of us!"

"Well, please forgive me then," Satsuki said, but she was still smirking. "I thought you were just fooling around, but if you truly feel in love with one another, I shall not intrude." The smile faded from her face. "I suppose I should not jest about such things. Matoi, now that you've experienced Ragyo's form of 'love', you can probably guess that she abused both me and Nui. Consent was never discussed. Even worse, she encouraged Nui and I to act like lovers too. Neither of us knew that it was abnormal for sisters. Unfortunately, these sorts of habits stick. I find myself very affectionate towards women."

I shrugged. "Maybe you're just a Lesbian. What? I am."

She frowned. "As entertaining as this has been, Matoi, it's nearly sundown. We have something important to discuss out on the deck. I do not wish to employ you as an unknowing pawn anymore. My Elite Four and the forces of Nudist Beach must hear you say for yourself whether or not you intend to help us fight."

***Break***

Out on the deck, I decided to give Satsuki a hard time. Even though I had already beaten her pretty badly, I figured that didn't count because I had been trapped in Junketsu. And in all honestly, even if she had been scheming to betray Ragyo for thirteen years, I still hadn't forgiven her for being such a bitch for so long. I asked to punch her, and despite the danger to herself (because she now wore no Kamui), she agreed to let me deck her just once. To my irritation, however, the Elite Four kept stepping in, taking my punches and not letting me touch Satsuki.

"Our faces BELONG to Satsuki-sama," stated Jakuzure. "Our limbs, too, belong to her. If it's for Satsuki's sake, all four of us would gladly be smashed to bits or chopped to pieces!"

I demanded what the hell was wrong with those four, declaring them incomprehensible. It was then that I noticed Satsuki and I did not differ in this regard: both of us had for friends these incomprehensible fools, always trying to save us. For Satsuki, it was Jakuzure and the other Elites. For me, it was Mako and Senketsu. Why did I need to hit Satsuki? I stammered about this and wondered what to do, but in a moment Satsuki—yes, SATSUKI—began to offer her apologies. She said that deceiving everyone and using people as pawns made her methods as despicable as Ragyo's.

"But now I know that the world is not some piece of cloth," Satsuki went on. "It's filled to the brim with disorderly and incomprehensible things. But that is what makes it beautiful. Please, fight alongside me to protect that beautiful world, Ryuuko."

And to my everlasting astonishment, Satsuki bowed to me.

I tried to act like it was no big deal and said that I simply didn't feel like punching her anymore. More importantly, I told her that I had people to protect too, so it was high time we defeated our mother. After all, she would undoubtedly come after us soon.


	12. This is a Congratulations Kiss

12: "This is a Congratulations Kiss"

Satsuki's good friend from the sewing group, Iori, began to work his miracles that evening. First, he reassembled Junketsu, injecting it with the blood of Satsuki and me, and adding a few of Senketsu's Life Fibers. These measures would ensure Junketsu's "will" would coincide with Satsuki's. She would no longer need to struggle to control Junketsu, and they could fight in unity. Iori also started production of Ultima Uniforms using the Life Fibers gathered from defeated COVERS.

After checking on Iori's progress, Satsuki returned to the main deck and explained to everyone there the nature of Ragyo's true plan. Life Fibers reproduced at the cost of all other life on Earth; they would, if awakened, cover the Earth and then explode, spreading "seeds" to other planets and galaxies. Ragyo intended to wake all the Life Fibers and have every last human engulfed by their clothing. Every country in the world used at least some clothes from REVOCS Corporation, meaning they were fitted with Life Fibers. But while COVERS were running wild across Japan, the rest of the Life Fibers of the world had not yet reawakened.

The only sure way to reawaken all clothing was to attach the Original (and thus strongest) Life Fiber to a large transmitter at Honnouji Academy. The bundle of ancient Fiber would then send a signal up ordering all Fibers to awaken. A satellite in space would catch this signal and relay it all across the world. The hacking master Inugami had verified that Ragyo and the massive Original Life Fiber were headed toward Honnouji. Our mission was to destroy the transmitter, and/or destroy the original Life Fiber, and/or find a way to kill Ragyo and Nui for good.

"There's just one thing we weren't expecting," Inugami said, looking at the ship's radar. "We have incoming enemies."

After a rain of bomb-like Life Fiber bundles hit the ship, we all knew it was time for battle again. Satsuki and I would try to kill Ragyo. Mikisugi and the Elite Four would focus on getting the ship back over to Honnouji Academy to destroy the Transmitter. (Unbeknownst to me, Mako would soon be given an Ultima Uniform and fight to help protect the ship from COVERS.) Satsuki wore Junketsu and I wore Senketsu, and the two of us were about to take off to find Ragyo, when I heard Satsuki's kind butler through my comm. Link headset. He told me to take care of Satsuki.

For the first time, I thought of Satsuki as my older sister. In a way we had always been like this: while she acted like a bitch in the name of "making me stronger", I had always hated her and admired her at the same time. However, try as I might, I could not call Satsuki "Onee-chan." Satsuki told me not to worry about it, and that it was enough to have my blood in Junketsu, calming the savage Kamui.

"Now that we know we're sisters, though," said Satsuki as we flew through the air avoiding Life Fiber missiles, "I AM going to tease you like an older sister should."

"Yeah," I shouted, "and I'm gonna keep calling you a bitch just like a little sister should!"

Satsuki and I had two advantages: we both had weapons capable of completely severing Life Fibers so that regeneration was impossible: my twin scissors, and Satsuki's two blades made from her old sword Bakuzan. We also knew that if we broke the inside core of the Original Life Fiber, that gigantic flying mass of orange Fiber would be stopped in its tracks. Ragyo's advantage were her own two swords, strong enough to break Life Fibers but not enough to prevent them from regenerating for good.

We tried several times to beat Ragyo in a clean battle, but her defenses outmatched our attacks. We knew, too, that the ship behind us was crawling with COVERS. So in an instant, I devised a trick plan. I charged in trying to decapitate Ragyo, she literally cut me in half, and I fell into the ocean no doubt looking dead.

Somehow, through the psychological shock and pain, I regenerated my halves back together under the water. Satsuki continued to fight Ragyo—and get her ass kicked. She acted as a decoy so that Ragyo didn't see me rise from the ocean again and then dive deep inside the Original Life Fiber. I transformed my scissor blades into ultra-long double-edged blades and began cutting into the Life Fiber's Core.

After a few minutes, through the strain, I thought I heard Mako's voice calling my name. Then the ship, with its "Great Naked Blade" attached to the stern, came crashing into the Life Fiber. I could hear Mako screaming my name. She was using all her energy to propel the ship forward. With my blood running hot with adrenaline, I combined my strength with the ship's great blade, and we broke clean through the Original Life Fiber's Core. Still riding the ship, we came flying out the other end of the Life Fiber, and crashed into the wall of Honnouji Academy. The Original Life Fiber fell limply into the ocean.

We knew the Battle had a-ways to go yet. As everybody climbed from the broken ship, alive mostly thanks to their Ultima Uniforms, we received a warning from Nui that the real fight had yet to begin. She temporarily retreated to Honnouji Tower with Ragyo, so our side took the opportunity for a quick break as well. Satsuki praised Iori for recreating the Ultima Uniforms for the Elite Four and all the rescued captives of the COVERS. The kindly butler Soroi made a huge batch of tea for everyone.

While Satsuki was toasting with Iori and the Elite Four, I pulled Mako behind a huge, broken piece of the ship. Here, we would not be seen by Mr. and Mrs. Mankanshoku or teased by Satsuki.

"What are you doing, Ryuuko-chan?" asked Mako blankly. "I wanted to drink some delicious black tea! And my mom is heating up the last croquets we saved from the ship! I want to eat!"

"Don't worry, I'll let you eat all you like in just a second."

I embraced Mako and gently pushed her till her back rested against the wall of broken ship. I leaned forward and kissed her. She put her arms around me and stroked my hair and sides. I pressed my body against hers and it felt amazing. I kissed her again and neither of us wanted to break out of it. We were "French-kissing" before we even knew what we were doing, and passion began to overtake me.

"Hey," said Mako, stopping suddenly. "This is a congratulations kiss, right? You're not being stupid and thinking of this as a goodbye kiss, are you?!"

I backed away and caught my breath. "Of course I'm not saying goodbye, Mako. I know you'll want to come with us when we charge into Honnouji. I can't stop you, and to be honest, nothing helps me fight better and think clearer than having you with me."

Mako grinned, hugged me, and kissed my cheek. "I'm going with you, alright!" she exclaimed. "But first I'd better go eat some croquets! Oh, and I guess I should tell my family to stay safe behind the wall with Soroi and anybody else who can't fight."

The ditzy girl ran off, her hair bouncing, her Ultima Uniform looking absolutely adorable with the black hat and cloak. I followed more slowly, and saw Satsuki finishing her tea. Mako had leaped over to her family and all of them were now eating croquets. Satsuki suddenly surprised me by placing a hand on my shoulder.

"I hate to tell you this," she said her half-smile, "but I think several people besides me just saw you and Mako together. She's got to come out of the closet soon."

"None of your business, big-sister-bitch!" I snapped.

"What's the matter?" Satsuki asked sarcastically. "Can't I get a congratulations kiss, too?"

I couldn't come up with a smart retort before I heard Mr. Mankanshoku saying to Satsuki, "Well, Mako is in your hands now! If anything happens to her I'll sue the Kiryuuin conglomerate for every cent you have!"

"I'll keep that in mind," said Satsuki politely.

"Let's go!" cried Mako.


	13. Let's Go On A Date!

13: "Let's Go On A Date!"

We charged into Honnouji expecting an amazing battle: Satsuki with me and Mako, the Elite Four with Iori, Mikisugi with the last members of Nudist Beach, and the rescued COVERS captives now in Ultima Uniforms. We did not expect that our target, the Transmission Tower, would be covered by a Life Fiber shield which Mako said looked like "A giant rubber barrier." We also did not expect that Nui would be back with ultra-strong arms. And what we expected least of all was for Ragyo to appear in a new Kamui: Omnisilk Kouketsu.

Rainbow-colored light shone all around Ragyo, and all of us suddenly lost the power of our uniforms. This was Ragyo's "Absolute Domination" power. Omnisilk Kouketsu was apparently made from a rare subspecies of Life Fiber which caused all other Life Fibers to cower in fear. The Omnisilk could also send out reawakening calls to other Life Fibers, as well as summon nearby Life Fibers to it. Ragyo stripped us of our power by making our Life Fibers freeze in fear. She then used the summoning power and the Original Life Fiber answered her call!

Even as we bitterly realized that we had failed to kill the Original Life Fiber, some of us kept fighting. Mikisugi and Mohawk Man were quickly sent flying. Mako got too close to Nui, but when the little Demon struck, Gamagori took the blow. Mako knelt beside him, distraught and weeping. I realized it was time for me step up, and I think Senketsu realized it at the same time.

I took off Senketsu and fought Nui back, defending Mako and Gamagori. I knew that I was part human and part Life Fiber, and that the "Absolute Domination" would not work on such a rare fusion as my own body. Senketsu realized that he was part human, too: not only did he contain some of my DNA, but he also had a strong will of his own. He too broke free of Ragyo's power, and destroyed her heart, where the actual Omnisilk had been glowing.

At once, the rainbow-light vanished and "Absolute Domination" lost its hold. Satsuki and the rest were free to use the power of their uniforms again. I put Senketsu back on and Satsuki ran to join me where I stood in front of the shell-shocked Ragyo. Bakuzan had been broken again, but Satsuki and I each held one of the scissor blades.

"You're going to hate me for this," said Satsuki quickly as we crossed our blades and prepared to strike at Ragyo. "But it's the only way I know how to say I care about you."

When our blades came down for a strike, my face came suddenly close to Satsuki's, and without losing her cool in the slightest she kissed me lightly. The force of our blades made Ragyo step back, still weak as her body tried to regenerate her heart.

"Yep," I whispered to Satsuki, "you're seriously the worst sister ever."

Satsuki smiled at me and then quickly issued an order for the other forces to break the Transmitter. I vaguely heard them succeeding. Gamagori (still alive) broke through the Life Fiber shield and put a hole in the Transmitter. Then Mikisugi and Mohawk Man (also still alive) threw their robots along with explosives into the hole. The Transmitter Tower exploded magnificently.

Before the outraged Ragyo could make any move, Satsuki and I brought our blades straight through her. We sliced across horizontally and then down vertically, quartering her. We thought she was done for, but then came the strangest thing yet. Nui sliced off her own head, which was then absorbed into and made part of the Original Life Fiber. The huge bundle of Fiber quickly enveloped Ragyo's body, restoring her with Life Fibers so she could live, and covering her like a gigantic, living dress. Ragyo said Nui was "wearing" the Original Life Fiber, and Nui's voice appeared and said that Ragyo was "wearing" her.

"So even at the cost of her life," whispered Satsuki bitterly, "Nui maintains this disgusting relationship with her own mother."

"So says the girl who kissed her sister," I growled at Satsuki.

"Apparently," Satsuki smiled, "Nobody but Jakuzure appreciates my sense of humor."

Just then, with a mad laugh, Ragyo launched herself upward into the sky. The Original Life Fiber, or Nui, turned itself into a rocket launcher and literally sent Ragyo towards space. Inumuta told us she would be heading to the satellite herself, and with her heart regenerated she could use her Kamui's power to send the wake-up call to all the Life Fibers of the world. She didn't even need the Transmitter. She sent out the call herself, and Life Fibers everywhere woke up and started preying on humans.

I knew there was only one thing to do. I had to go after her. I was the only one with a chance of resisting the power of the Omnisilk Kouketsu. So I grimly announced that I would go after Ragyo myself.

It was Mako who broke the silence. "Ryuuko-chan, let's go on a date!" she exclaimed. "Listen up! Let's go on a date when you get back!" (Here she kissed me so quickly I had no time to respond.) "Let's dress in cute clothes, and cute accessories, and go shopping, and eat icecream, in a world where girls are free to wear whatever clothes they want! I'm sure Ryuuko-chan will create a world like that! A world like that! A WORLD LIKE THAT!"

So Mako had finally come out of the closet. Her enthusiastic antics forced me to smile. "You got it," I told her. I knew what to do next. "Everyone! Let me wear your Ultima Uniforms!"

With all the power of all the Life Fibers there, plus Senketsu, I became as powerful as Ragyo and her Kouketsu. Senketsu and I temporarily took the shape of a rocket and launched. Both Ragyo and I could somehow survive at the end of the stratosphere, which was rapidly filling with red Life Fiber cloth. Soon the planet would be covered and choked out. But I couldn't give up when I had a date with Mako to return to, so I battled Ragyo once more.

At first she beat the shit out of me. I had to regenerate faster than ever with her otherwise lethal attacks. Ragyo impaled my body with pure Life Fiber, and said that nothing made of Life Fibers could kill her because of her "Absolute Domination" power. Then I finally realized something critical.

All this time, whenever Senketsu and I defeated COVERS or people wearing Ultima Uniforms, we absorbed their Life Fibers into us. Why shouldn't we be able to absorb the Fibers of Omnisilk Kouketsu and acquire Absolute Domination ourselves? We could do anything! As my Kamui and I began to absorb the Omnisilk and negate "Absolute Domination," I knew victory was in sight. I shouted at my mother,

"We are neither human nor clothing!" And Senketsu added, "At the same time, we ARE human, we ARE clothing, and everything Else!" I followed him with, "Humans cannot become clothing! Humans are humans, and clothing is clothing!" And Ragyo quite reasonably broke down and screamed, "WHAT THE HELL KIND OF NONSENSICAL BULLSHIT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?!"

"That's just who we ARE!" I replied melodramatically.

I went to the tip of the satellite, activated Absolute Domination myself, and began sending the signal to Life Fibers to go back to sleep. Apparently, Life Fibers can understand my will just by hearing my words, so I shouted into the microphone on the top of the satellite,

"Listen up! People are people, and clothes are clothes! Return all of humanity into the people they once were!"

It worked like a charm. All the red cloth covering the planet fell back to earth. So did the people trapped inside. (I don't really know how they survived, but to be honest I didn't care. All I wanted to do was date Mako; I never said anything about saving the whole world.) Before going back to earth myself, I asked Ragyo, now naked, if she wanted to surrender quietly. After all, nothing spontaneously nurtures a daughter's love for her mother like fighting over world domination in Space. Ragyo decided she would rather die, and killed herself by tearing out and breaking her own heart. Well, at least she was honest about her feelings.

I was beginning to feel like a hero until Senketsu started acting weird on our way back down to Earth. He started saying the Omnisilk was more powerful than he'd expected, and that this ending was for the best, and that he was glad he got to meet me…

"You idiot!" I yelled at him. "I don't want your farewells!"

"Don't cry, Ryuuko," said Senketsu gently. "Girls must grow out of their sailor uniforms eventually. Now you may wear whatever you want… clothes much cuter than I could ever be…"

I shouted at him "Fine" and said I WOULD wear cuter clothes than him. I was quite angry that my best friend decided to die without warning. Senketsu faded away, and as I plummeted back toward the ground, I screamed his name one more time and lost consciousness.

When I woke up, I was surrounded by naked people. Many of them had worked together to catch me so I didn't die from the fall. I felt Mako's body resting just behind mine, and just when I started to get turned on by it, I realized that a naked Satsuki had her arms around me, and that she had been the one to actually catch me. This only pissed me off until I saw that Jakuzure was snuggled up behind Satsuki, holding her hips and looking like she was in Heaven. Satsuki really did have something with Jakuzure, and I had a feeling she would come to stop teasing Mako and sexualizing me in due time.

"Welcome back," said Satsuki with an honest, sisterly smile.

"Yeah, I'm home, Nee-san," I replied, relaxing at last. (I only called her a bitch silently, in my mind.)

Soon, Mako and I would go on our first real date.

 **(A/N: Chapter 14 will be the last in this story.)**


	14. We're Really Gonna Do It?

14: "We're Really Gonna Do It?"

Honnouji Academy had been destroyed in the final battle, and Satsuki saw no purpose in rebuilding it. However, she did want to help rebuild the rest of the town around the school. In almost no time at all, Honnou-town was no longer a layered fortress offshore, but a small, seaside city with much better living conditions for everyone. The funding came from Satsuki, technically the head of the massive Kiryuuin Conglomerate since her mother was dead. In addition, Satsuki surprised everyone by giving Mr. Mankanshoku a well-paying job as well as the loans he needed to start attending "official" medical school. In a few years he could be a rich doctor and pay off the loans easily, if Satsuki even cared to make him.

Not to be outdone, however, I turned eighteen and decided to use my inherited money—the third of dad's fortune that had not been given to fund Nudist Beach. I technically owned my dad's burned house, so I had most of it rebuilt and asked the Mankanshoku family to live in it with me. There were still only three bedrooms (plus a guest room), so Mako and I once again lived in the same room. (I invited Satsuki to live with us too, but she had already sold her mother's mansion and bought a penthouse apartment not too far away from us.)

"So your family is okay now with you being out of the closet?" I asked Mako. "And, I mean, living with me?"

Mako nodded enthusiastically. "I don't know what I was afraid of! With all that money from you and Lady Satsuki, my family couldn't care less about me loving another girl. Remember, the thing the Mankanshoku family loves best is money!"

"So would you break up with me if I hadn't given you and the family a new home?" I asked jokingly. "Mako, I'm not convinced. You have to prove you love me more."

My girlfriend giggled and then attacked me with a shower of kisses and tickles. I laughed with all my heart—even though Senketsu was gone, I though, I should be happy for his sake. And now I had a lovely, weird, and adorably ditzy girlfriend and a bizarre but loving family. What's more, Mako and I had our date coming up. (Although we had planned it over a month ago, we kept holding it off until I had cheered up a bit from the major loss of Senketsu.)

I still remember that date with Mako clear as day. Despite what I had said to Senketsu, I didn't really like "cute" or girly clothes, so I just wore some jeans, my black and white jacket, and the red scarf that reminded me of Senketsu. I waited for Mako outside the bike shop of the new Honnou-town, and she was late. Typical Mako, I thought. When she did show up, she followed her habit of leaping at me out of nowhere. We hugged and I tried to start talking, but Mako immediately began to push me along the sidewalk, on our way to our first stop.

"You look really cute today, Mako," I told her, slowing down and catching hold of her hand.

For the date, Mako wore an adorable white top with a slightly frilled, enticing V-neck. Her shorts were pastel-pink and her legs, below, were smooth and surprisingly shapely. Her hazelnut hair stayed in the same short cut, and fitted Mako's childlike face just as well as ever. I found it amusing that she still wore her purple backpack with bunny ears even though school was out for the summer. (Mako and I would finish school after another half-year or so; we were both behind on our schooling.)

"Thanks, Ryuuko, you look cute too!" Mako said, both her arms clinging to my left arm and drawing it to her soft chest. "No, cute might not be the right word. I know! You look cool, Ryuuko! There's a serious difference between cute and cool, you know!"

"I see. So are you attracted to the 'cool' look or the 'cute' one?"

"Maybe both," Mako said thoughtfully. Then she exclaimed, "But I think you look the best as a cool girl, Ryuuko! You're so hot I don't know what to do with myself! Ooh, wait, I do know! Ice cream! That stuff is cold so it should help me deal with how hot you are!"

I shook my head and laughed, wondering if Mako knew how corny she sounded and if she would ever become less of a ditz.

"We're on the way to get ice cream now," I reminded her, kissing the top of her head. "But first let's enjoy the walk. The view of the sea and the town is really nice from this landing. See? And—hey, wait—" Something suddenly distracted me. "Is that SATSUKI over there?! What happened to her?!"

At first I didn't even recognize my older sister because her characteristically long, black hair had been cut to a length shorter than my own shoulder-length hair. It wasn't a rounded cut like Mako's, and the sharp pieces that fell around her ears suited her sharp features. She wore a collared white top and a long, beautiful, pale-blue skirt. Satsuki's appearance had changed drastically, but I knew her personality would stay mostly the same—she had always been more of a "good girl" at heart than me, and her "evilness" had been mostly an act to fool her mother.

Mako and I greeted Satsuki and chorused together that she looked gorgeous. She seemed a bit flustered to see us, but Mako insisted that she come along for part of the outing. We took some pictures on the landing, and discovered that photos made Satsuki blush. Then we headed to the icecream shop. Satsuki's mint chocolate chip suited her personality perfectly, and it seemed just like me to skip ice cream entirely and go for the cold drink. Mako couldn't decide what to buy so she bought two cones, each with multiple scoops of multiple flavors. Later, she gave some of it to me.

Next we went to try some cute clothes. Satsuki surprised us again by looking drop-dead gorgeous in a salmon-colored summer skirt and sleeveless white top with a bow just below her, um, ample chest. I didn't try anything much on, but Mako tried half the clothes in the store. At one point she found a short, sleeveless green summer dress that made her look just overwhelmingly attractive. She didn't lock the door her dressing room, so while Satsuki was trying things on, I slipped into Mako's dressing room.

She almost screamed in surprise but I covered her mouth with a kiss. She blushed and kissed me back as if to say she didn't mind at all. Her dress was awkwardly half-on, half-off, leaving much of her skin showing. I helped her take off the green dress and put her own things back on slowly. All the while my body was tingling with desire, and before leaving the dressing room I whispered to Mako,

"Tonight, let's take a bath together. Then we'll climb into my bed and we won't hold back. I want to find out what makes you feel good and do it for hours."

Mako gasped. "Are we really gonna do it? Oh—Satsuki's calling us."

Satsuki said she wanted to go by the bookstore, and she would let Mako and I continue our date alone. However, we decided to walk her to the bookstore because Mako said, "Nobody as pretty as Lady Satsuki should walk alone in a city, you know!" I fell a bit behind Mako and Satsuki because, walking through a crowd of people, I saw someone wearing a sailor uniform. My heart ached for Senketsu and I stood alone for some time, trying not to cry. I stared at the sky, where I had lost my Kamui. I might have just stood there until I broke into tears, if Mako hadn't returned so soon.

She hugged me. "Satsuki's at the bookstore now. Let's take our time and walk home. And then it's bath time! Everybody else will be out of the house for a little while, because mom and my brother are going to see Dad give a presentation at the college he started at recently."

I grinned. "You planned for this, didn't you?"

I remember that day as one of the best times of my entire life. With the house empty, Mako and I made out in the shower, washed each other and soaked in a warm bath, holding each other. Then, laughing, we collapsed onto my bed in a tumble of bare skin, wet hair, and fluffy bath towels. We wrestled and tickled each other till it turned into making out. We kissed and felt each other's bodies till neither of us could stand holding back anymore.

We were adults now, so it didn't take long to figure out how to do things to make one another happy. The passion and joy that Mako and I both felt far exceeded any pleasure we had ever before experienced. And if I say more, this memoir will turn hentai, so let it suffice to say we lived as a couple for many years afterward.

For such a long time, I had felt so lost, and so angry, doing whatever I wanted until I became a juvenile delinquent. When my father died, I felt more lost and alone than ever before, but that was when Mako came into my life. She showed me how to be part of a family, and she helped me in my fights against the Kiryuuins every step of the way. Anytime I truly lost my head, overcome with rage at Nui or the delusions of Junketsu, Mako always managed to bring me to my senses. I'm sure I would have gotten myself killed if not for her, so I think of Mako as the one who saved my life both literally and figuratively. And dammit, I went and fell in love. What we feel is not some shallow love, driven only by desire and passion, but rather a bond that may very well last throughout our entire lives.

***The End***


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